Vox AC15

Price Paid: US $499 used

Features: 6
This is a 1996 Ac-15. As many know it is not really a reissue of the old AC-15, but half of a AC-30 ressiue. It has Volume, Treble, Bass, Reverb, Trem, and Master knobs. 1 channel. With the preamp volume cranked it doesn't get very distorted. If you use the preamp as the voulme with the master all the way up it doesn't sound much different. 1 volume knob would have been easier. The treble and bass are very interactive, but be warned this is a very bright amp. If you are using single coils it can be to bright even with the bass cranked and treble off. The reverb in this amp is terrible. this amp is one of the first ones made with the faulty reverb buzzing, unbagged tank. It is pretty annoying. If you like to play surf, which I do (not happy surf, evil surf) the reverb doesn't even come close to the drippy sound found in old fenders. It just creates space. It doesn't sound bad, but its not deep or lush at all. It seems like a waste of a tube-driven 'verb to me. The trem is good. It doesn't get super fast, but it is deep enough. Good for bo-diddley rhtyhm sounds. Not so good for Link Wray Rumble sounds. I am happy with the trem though.

Sound Quality: 7
As I mentioned above this is a bright amp. With my Hagstrom III it is very trebley even with treble off. It doesn't bother me much though. I am not that picky, except with the reverb. I played a Silverface fender deluxe reverb and it had the best reverb I have heard. Perfect for Surf, spaghetti-western and garage sounds. If the Vox had a better reverb I would like it better. There isn't really much distortion obtained by cranking the preamp. To get this thing to sound good you have to turn it up loud. It is rated at 15 watts but it is not a practice amp. This is the only amp I have and I gig with it constantly. It is good for rock and roll, garage and whatever you like to play. What i like best is that you get a good sound when you turn it up. Tube amp break-up is nice. Not too clean, not too dirty, just right.

Reliability: 2
Well, here it is not so good. This amp has many design flaws, and has broken down on me a couple of times. I did buy it used, but it looked really clean when I got it. The reverb has the annoying buzzing, which is the main flaw. The tubes are a pain to get at. you have to remove the whole chassis, which tears the tolex as you pull. If you blow a tube during a gig, forget it. It would probably take a half an hour to replace. This thing recently started blowing fuses, which was traced to a bad Rectifier tube, and also the Standby switch was shorting out, blowing fuses. My tech just removed the Standby because he didn't have one in stock so now it's just on or off. Fine with me. This is the only amp I own so lately I have been wary of it.

Customer Support: N/A
Bought it used, never tried to contact them, though I may someday try to get a new standby switch.

Overall Rating: 5
Overall I am pretty mixed about this amp. The biggest plus is that it looks cool. The sounds are definately good, but the reliability and overall design is somewhat poor. I would not buy it again if it was stolen, though I would probably miss it. I would buy an old deluxe reverb to replace it. I play a 60's Hagstrom III, a 68 SG and a 60s Teisco del rey. The gibson is my main guitar when the headstock isn't falling off. It does sound good through the amp with the P-90s. The Hagstrom has a raw, garage sound ala Billy Childish, Link Wray etc, but can also produce deep rhythm sound ala Bo Diddley. The teisco is pure trash ala the mummies. They all sound good through this amp. That reverb really make me mad!

Submitted by Mr tyranny at 03/09/2000 10:51

Price Paid: US $870.00

Features: 5
Vox Ac-15, made in 1999...amp is not particularly versatile, but sounds fantastic for clean and slightly distorted sounds. No channel switching, so I use pedalboard for more sounds. Built in tremelo sounds great, reverb is good. Loud for 15 watts, but if you jam with loud drummer, might not be loud enough.

Sound Quality: 9
I use Les Paul Special with Seymour Duncan P-90s, and play oldies, classic hits, and country-rock. Usually run amp a little below halfway up,and can vary sounds with distortion pedal and/or how hard you strike strings. The overall sound is sweet, and compressed in a good way.

Reliability: 9
Bought it in April Of '99, used it on 70 club gigs. Not a single problem.

Customer Support: N/A
Didn't ever have to deal with Vox, although when i was looking to buy one they were very good about giving me many dealers names in my area.

Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing for over 30 years. Have lots of gear, this is one of my favorite amps, along with a 1974 Fender Deluxe. I would get another one. Very good sound, good tremelo, looks great, easy to move, fits in small cars, etc. The AC-15 with the Celestion alnico Blue is supposed to sound even better...

Submitted by Phil Brigham at 02/22/2000 17:13

Price Paid: US $710.00

Features: 8
This is a late '90's Korg reissue Vox AC 15. It features a 12" gold label Vox Bulldog speaker. It has one channel with high and low inputs, volume, treble, bass, reverb, tremolo and master volume controls. It has a standby switch and a footswitch for reverb and tremolo. It is a 15 watt Class A tube amp with two EL84 power tubes.
The features are great for the sixties rock band I play in.

Sound Quality: 10
I play a '62 reissue Stratocaster, "62 reissue Telecaster Custom with Seymour Duncan Alnico pickups, '50's reissue Telecaster with Fender Texas Special pickups and a Rickenbacker 360-12V64. These guitars mix very well with the Vox to achieve a sixties British Invasion and American garage/psychedelic sound. I have gotten some good tones for surf too, but the amp's strength is really in the early Beatles, Stones, Kinks sound. The 12 string loses a little definition when the amp is cranked up to 3 O'clock. For example, it sounds good on the Beatle's "You Can't Do That," but lacks clarity on the Byrd's "Turn! Turn! Turn! I haven't used the master volume for overdrive because it distorts just enough with the volume at 3 O'clock and the master at maximum. I do use a Boss FZ-2 Hyperfuzz (Satisfaction... ) and an Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer. The tremolo is distinct and clear. It doesn't get muddy. The reverb in my amp doesn't work for some reason, so I'm using a Boss RV-2 until I get it fixed. The amp is generally quiet enough with the band (two guitars, bass, keys and drums), it's pretty noisy with the fuzz. With the volume at 3 O'clock it's just loud enough for my band. I can't and don't want to get louder than that on stage. We do play Led Zepplin's "Rock and Roll" for an encore when the evening is raucous enough and the amp sounds great turned all the way up with the Tele and no effects.

Reliability: 6
I gig about four times a month. I bring a backup. The amp hasn't broken down, but I had an AC 30 that did breakdown. My confidence level with Vox is not great. I love the tone, but... . Let's what happens after 30 gigs or so.

Customer Support: N/A
Haven't dealt with the company.

Overall Rating: 10
Playing 33 years. Also own a Fender Deluxe Reverb, a Fender Bassman with a 2X12 bottom. I would replace it if lost or stolen. I think the Vox and the Fenders are essential for the sixties rock I play. I chose the AC 15 for it's sound and size. The older I get the more I value lighter and smaller gear!

Submitted by John at 01/23/2000 11:33

Price Paid: US $975

Features: 7
The features are decent for this amp. Reverb and tremolo are included along with a master volume. I bought this amp brand new from a Vox dealer rather than through the mail because I mistakenly thought I would get better service. I was wrong- see below!

Sound Quality: 9
I used stats and Les Pauls into this amp. Both sounded fine. To my ears, I liked a cranked LP the best. It really nails the overdriven Vox tone. However, from day one I had a ringing and rattle when this thing was cranked. Guitar Player mentinoned this in their review and attributed it to the reverb tank. Vox claimed it was going to correct this by adding some rubber to the tank and using a tank bag. Mine obviously didn't have these corrections. My amp tech did them and it did improve but didn't totally eliminate the problem.
There is no excuse for an amp in this price range to have these problems.

Reliability: 4
I can't put it any simpler- reliability of this amp SUCKS. I used it very little the first year. Shortly after the B.S. warranty ran out, it blew a transformer! I paid to have it replaced- guess what it began to blow fuses.
I have a very experienced amp tech who has done a great deal of work on all my other vintage amps. His opinion was that this thing is built like shit. It is not handwired. Tubes are mounted close to the PC board. The voltages are two high and it is nearly maxed at idle. I'm not an expert at electronics but I'll certainly take his word for it because the performance backed him up.
I would never depend on this amp without a backup.

Customer Support: 1
I bought this from a local dealer. I won't mention any names but he is in PA and claims to be an expert on VOX ( he is even listed on the Vox Pages Website). When I approached him about the buzzing and rattles, he said he would get back to me. He never did. When I called back, he blamed it on Vox being owned by Marshall. Eventually, the dealer did nothing and offered no help.
When I finally became disgusted with the amp, in a moment of insanity, I approached him about trading up to an AC30. He had the balls to tell me he wouldn't even accept my amp on a trade due to the fact that my model didn't have the corrections that Vox supposedly made to this amp (yeah, the same ones I had been complaining about!). I'm getting more pissed as I write this- why protect him- Its "Rhoads Music".

Overall Rating: 1
I've been playing for over 20 years. I have owned tons of amps and guitars, vintage and knew. I should be a lot better than I am but I believe I know tone. This amp does have great tone when it works but beware, mine didn't work often. Did I get a lemon? Maybe. But if I did the dealer and Vox certainly did nothing to help.
I ended up selling it at quite a loss and bought a Dr.Z Carmen Ghia. Honestly, the Guia does not sound quite as good but at least it works.
Beware of this amp. I suspect we will be seeing a lot of these for sale. If you want that sound by a DrZ or Matchless!

Submitted by Dave at 09/12/1999 12:51

Price Paid: Can't tell ya! used

Features: 6
This is a recent issue Vox made by KORG/Marshall. It has one channel with Volume, Treble, Bass, Trem Rate & Depth, Reverb and Master Volume. Switches are power on/off and standby. There is a line out jack, jack for foot switch and a jack for the speaker. 15 watts of "Class A" tube power drives a 12" speaker. (Mine has the Eminance)

Sound Quality: 7
I really wanted a Vox AC 30, but I can't afford it. This came along at a killer price, so I'll use it until I save up for the AC 30 or just keep using this amp. I use it with a Fender '52 RI Tele, a Rick 360-12 and whatever other guitars are around. I use the Vox in a two amp A/B set up. I intended to use it just for the songs that needed a little jangle, but I keep using it for more and more songs. To my ears, it doesn't sound like an AC 30 but it's in the ballpark. At some point I'll get either a Weber Blue Dog or a Vox Blue speaker to get closer to the tone. It's plenty loud for the gigs I play. Our drummer uses an electronic kit, so it all goes through the PA anyway. If you want distortion, get a pedal. Even though it has a master volume, I keep it wide open. I haven't experimented with craking the preamp and running the master low, but I'm not a big fan of preamp distortion. The tone controls are interactive. As you turn up the treble, the bass is rolled off. Different from the Fender style amps I'm used to. I find the amp to be very quiet with no background hiss or noise. It doesn't have a lot of sounds, but the ones it has are very good.

Reliability: 8
It looks well made. I understand there have been problems with transformers, but it seems like KORG has that taken care of. There is a reverb spring rattle that needs to be mended, but it's pretty minor. I would play a gig without a back up. The cabinet construction is very good.

Customer Support: N/A
Since I bought the amp used, I have no warranty, but it was owned by a salesman at the shop I bought it from. The owner of the shop told me to bring it in if I had any problems. I haven't had any dealings with Vox/KORG, but I know who to go to if I need to. I would expect good service.

Overall Rating: 9
This is a groovy little amp. It is different then what I expected, but it won me over in a hurry. It loves the Telecaster! It's a simple good sounding guitar amp. If it was stolen, I'd probably get it's big brother, the AC 30. It gives me a tone I can't get from my other gear. If I were to change it, I'd replace the master volume with a "cut" control. And I'd go with a Weber or Vox Blue type speaker. There's just something I like about Vox amps. I grew up in the '60's and seriously lusted after Vox gear. And now I finally have one. That makes me happy! I haven't played any Top Hat or Matchless amps. They might do a better job at getting the tone then my amp, but for the price I paid, nothing compares.

Submitted by Paul Honeycutt at 07/23/1999 12:34

Price Paid: US $trade used

Features: 2
Preamp of the AC30 Brilliant channel. Tremelo, Reverb, 1x12 Eminence, Hi/Lo gain inputs, Treble/Bass/Volume/Master volume. Nice detachable power cord, direct out (?!??). The main feature: 2 el84's in Class A configuration, with a tube rectifier. Quite limited in features, but that's the beauty.

Sound Quality: 9
Used with a strat. Gets loud enough, but not too loud. I sold this amp, and it is the only amp I've ever missed after it was gone. It had the sweetest sounding tremelo and reverb I've ever heard. And it had the sweetest, purest clean tone I've ever played. So nice, warm, clean and responsive. Really sings. Shimmers. I know it's cliche, but it really does sound chimy. Individual notes are fat. Put the master volume on 10 and pretend it doesn't exist; use the preamp volume as your volume knob. Gets better the louder you go. I see another one of these in my future some day, or maybe the AC30. Problem (advantage?) is, the AC15 is sweeter at lower volumes, and costs about 1/3 as much.
The only complaint is that the flat out cranked AC15 tone does not get nearly as warm or full as the recordings of cranked Vox amps. I suspect that the AC30 distorts a lot better; I'm sure this is also a function of the speaker (mine was not the alnico celestion).

Reliability: N/A
I've heard bad things about the reissues regarding the reverb pan and the output transformer.

Customer Support: N/A
KORG...draw your own conclusions.

Overall Rating: 9
Definitely would like to have another some day when I grow up and get a real job.

Submitted by Mike at 06/04/1999 08:29

Price Paid: US $930

Features: 9
This is a reissue made in 97. It has 2 inputs on one channel (one 3db lower). It has chicken-head knobs for input volume, treble, bass, reverb, and tremelo speed and depth, plus a master volume. There is also a switch for mains and standby. This model has the 12'' vox blue speaker, but it is also available with a celestion (not sure which) or 2x10 celestions. This girl has 5 12ax7s and 2 el84 plus a 5y3 rectifier tube. No effects loop, has detatchable mains chord. This amp is loud for 15 watts. This will keep up with a drummer. There is a line out for a PA and a footswitch for the trem and reverb. This amp does one type of sound very well: a very full rich, toneful sound. Good for blues, jazz, whatever requires good tone. I give it a 9 in this category because it is not a swiss army amp. It will cover most styles, though and is much more more versatile than I believed it to be before purchasing.

Sound Quality: 10
I use a les paul with 57 classics in there. I also have a 50w plexi. This suits my needs nicely. It is low power enough to sound great in your living room, but has enough power to blast a small club. The sound is fat, thick, extremely harmonically complex. Tube changes seem to change the sound dramatically depending on what kind you use. I have Philips NOS in there and it sounds much warmer than the sovteks it came with. The sound is very much like my plexi cranked up, but at a volume I can have everyday. Fattest amp I have heard. The marshall goes untouched most of the time now, because it doesn't sound near as good at that low volume level. Very portable too. I tried the different speaker configurations and the vox speaker sounds the best. It boosts the mids like crazy, giving the sound incredible body, but still being very well balanced. Hard to describe; much like brian may meets tom petty. There is no mid control, but it doesn't matter because the mids are on full all the time! Turning up the treble reduces mids and bass, as opposed to adding treble in top of everything. The bass control reduces highs. Very interesting controls; extremely interactive. There is not a lot of headroom, but you can still be fairly clean even when cranked by controlling your pick attack. Extremely, extremely dynamic amp! Super touch-sensitive.

Reliability: 6
I've had this amp for a year with no problems and I play it every single day! The construction is very solid. 9-ply birtch cabinet, enlarged metal vents. Some of the tolex has began to come unglued inside the cabinet. Inside is a printed pc board (looks just like a modern marshall inside), plastic shafts on the pots! I hate this. A matter of time before those break. The tube sockets are also plastic! Crap. To get to the tubes, the chassis must be removed from the cabinet and then a protective grill must be removed. They are mounted upside down and in the front of the amp. This is a pain just to change tubes, but at least you can change without having to re-bias! Yes! The only other scarey thing is that this amp uses 5 different fuses. Some of which are easy to find, some aren't. But I haven't blown one yet, so maybe it's no big deal. I give them a 6 for the plastic pots shafts and plastic tube sockets.

Customer Support: N/A
Have not dealt with Korg/Marshall so I have no opinion.

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing for ten years, one of those years was at Berklee College of Music. I would buy it again in a second if it was stolen. At Berklee I heard all kinds of amps and nothing sounds as good to me as this little vox. It is the perfect amp for me because it is portable, powerful, yet low powered enough to sound great at lower volumes. has reverb, incredible trem and master volume to drive it at even lower volumes. The distortion is just unbelievable-super thick and rich! It does have kind of a quirky sound though. Be sure this suits you before you buy. It has a lot of character, which may not be good for everyone. The vox speaker is also a must to really maximize the character of the amp.

Submitted by DA at 05/16/1999 16:09

Price Paid: US $865.00

Features: 5
The setup of this amp is very simple. 1 channel, 1 Vox alnico blue 12" speaker, high and low gain inputs, 15 watts, reverb & tremolo w/footswitch. It uses 2 EL-84 power tubes, 5 12AX7 preamp tubes and has a tube rectifier. Since I look for simplicity in an amp, it has more than enough features for me. Some people seem to prefer more complicated setups so I give this a 5 for versatility.

Sound Quality: 10
I use this amp with a Fender Telecaster '63 re-issue with a Duncan lead stack in the bridge position. It also sounds great with a strat. I have to say that this amp sounds amazing when you crank it up and use your volume knob to control distortion. This amp does not do high gain distortion. The distortion it does have has an incredible amount of clarity and depth. The clean sounds are very chimey and ringy. If you are into guitar sounds of Tom Petty or U2, this is definitely the amp for you. It is a very loud amp (to me) but does not have a ton of clean headroom. It begins to distort past halfway up on the volume control. The tremolo is one of the best ones that I've heard. The reverb is OK. It is not long and lush like on a Fender amp. It is very musical, though, and adds a nice subtle depth. The amp is very quiet - even at the high volume settings that I use it at. This amp has none of the twang that Fender amps have so I don't really recommend it for country but it will jangle 'till the cows come home.

Reliability: N/A
It seems to be made really well. Relatively soon after purchasing it one of the preamp tubes became microphonic. The store replaced it free of charge. The amp itself, though, has been great in the short time that I've owned it. I can't really comment on long term reliability.

Customer Support: N/A
Besides having the tube replaced I have not dealt with customer support. The store was very helpful, though, when I told them about my tube problem and didn't hesitate to replace it.

Overall Rating: 10
Overall, this is my favorite amp for distorted tones. I also really love the clean sound but since it is only a 15 watt amp, I tend to use it for distortion. I also own a '65 Fender Bassman head, a Mesa Boogie Mark IIb, and a Fender Pro Junior. The Vox has a very specific sound. If you relate to it in the first place, this amp will deliver.

Submitted by Michael Papenburg at 03/20/1998 09:31

Price Paid: I can't tell anyone what I paid!

Features: 10
One channel same as the top boost channel of the AC-30.Reverb & tremelo with treble, bass,vol. and master vol. ALL Tube. Has five ECC83's (chinese), two El-84's(Phillips/u.s.a.) & one Phillips(usa) 5Y3GT rectifier tube. Has Great Tone very musicial!! The reverb is very lush and smooth. Not clangy & harsh like a Fender. The Celestion Alnico Blue speaker really adds to the sound. These speakers are much better than any Jensen I ever heard. Might be due in part to the fact that there is a larger magnet.The alnico Celestions have much better sustain, clairity & upper mids than there ceramic counterparts. I did a gig the first night that I got it in a small club and had NO problem being loud enough!! I play everything from hardcore blues to country to sixties British stuff and it works great for all of them.

Sound Quality: 10
It works for every style that I play. The amp is very quite even when cranked. The amp wide open has that smooth slightly compressed fat distortion. Not harsh. But that could be due to the fact that I changed all of the preamp tubes to N.O.S. military grade Mullards(which in my opinion are THE greatest Tube company that was next to M.O.Valve). Guitars used: custom made PRS Custom22, Gretsch 6122 & 6119('60's),'59 Les Paul Special(real one! not reissue garbage by Garbage Gibson) Custom made Mahogany Tele and Ricky 360/12.

Reliability: N/A
I've only had it a couple of days(as of 10-18-96) The first shippment of these just came into the states on the 15th(of Oct.) The constuction looks very good. Better than average quality componets( silver mica and polystyrene caps)Drake transformers.

Customer Support: N/A
I've delt with Korg in the past and always had Excellent results.Warranty is one year.

Overall Rating: 10
I don't think that I would hesitate to get another one. The tone is there!!!!!!

Submitted by DON BUTLER at 10/19/1996 22:38