Vox AD120VTX Valvetronix 212 Combo

Price Paid: 2500 (AUD)

Features: 10
A brand new 2004, valve preamp, solidstate power.
This amp has all the features you need, except maybe a decent noise gate and harmonizer.
Awesome range of sounds and fantastic tone.
120watts through 2x12" neodog speakers provides plenty of power.
As I play heavy/melodic/progressive music I need a big range of sounds and this amp has all the sounds I could emagine using.
Good onboard effects and pedal sections, combined with amp models that are storable in banks of 4 patches - depending on the foot controller u use depends on your patch selection options while playing. (no footcontroller included).
The noise gate wasn't suitable when getting a heavy distortion with the "treble boost" function, even when set on full.

Sound Quality: 10
The range of sounds and tone of this amp are outstanding. As a purist I am not about to talk-up a modeling trannie amp unless it is warranted, and this amp is.
I have used a number of guitars with this amp, and it easily can be setup to get the best tone possible from all different combinations of pickups.

Reliability: 4
This is where the amp let me down.

I had the amp only for a few weeks and the amp would randomly turn itself off, sometimes it would come back on after a few seconds, sometimes I would have to flick the power switch off and then on again.
This was an intermittent fault that would only happen every few rehearsals.
After looking into the problems with Valvetronics amps, it seems that many of them are faulty.

Reliability of Chinese made electrics and overall quality control is poor in many many cases.

Damn Vox for moving production out of the UK.

Customer Support: 4
I sent the amp back to get fixed, but they reckon there is no fault occurring. Ofcourse because it is an intermittent fault. They wouldn't test the amp for at least a few hours, understandabley, but where does that leave me?

I will not rely on an amp that is unreliable. Make sense?

From my modest research into Valvetronics reliability, you would think that the service department would be able to isolate the causes of common faults and know how to test and rectify such problems.

Overall Rating: 5
What it comes down to is: No professional musician is going to use an unreliable product, are they?

Submitted by Tobias at 01/02/2006 08:14

Price Paid: US around 11oo dollars for the amp and 275 for thevc-12 pedal.

Features: 10
I purchased the vox ad120 vtx at guitar center in charlotte n.c. in nov 2005. Iv had my eye on the amp for a couple of years but wasnt wanting to come off of the hip with the cash. I have not heard a better sounding amp of any caliber yet then this amp. Dosnt matter if you are a tube or solid state amp gutarist. This amp is the most versatile best sounding amp that iv ever plugged a gutiar into, (period). Its stereo sounds very wide and spread out. Its distortions are simply unmatchable. The FEEL is as good as it gets. Harmonic feedback can be adjusted to perfection.

Sound Quality: 10
My guitar is an older washburn hb-35 (gibson 335 semi-hollowbody copy) I enjoy playing 60s - 70s style rock such as blue oyser cult, ccr, the hollys etc. I also enjoy southern rock and the newer style country rock. Put it this way, this amp is designed for the cover mucic musican. It IS THE best amp for versitility. Iv been playing the guitar ever science I was 10 years old. I am now 43. I played thru and owned fender tube and solid states, marshall tubes, dean markley hybyrds, peavey sterio solid states etc. My ears are very well devloped for sound. I am very critiacal to amp sound. I dont like harsh transistory keen sounging amps, but appriciate that warm , smooth , fat, singing gutarist sound. Trust me, you can look all you want but you will not beat the sound of this baby, Period!!

Reliability: N/A
Iv read the reviews on this amp and I am very aware that some have had trouble with the Cant give you an opingion on the reliability of this amp at this point, however I have no Idea how these other muscians treat their equipment or what experience they have with controls. Vox has been around many years. From what I understand, Korg owns Marhsall and Vox. I say If you Like this amp and its sound, buy it. Do like myself and spend the money for extended warrenty such as what guitar center offers. Anything and Everything mechanical or electrical has a logical reason for breaking down if that be the case which means it can be repaired. I have a marshall mg250dfx as a backup. Its always a good idea to have a backup amp if you play gigs regardless how reliable you think your main amp is. Think about it in terms of golf, fishing , hunting etc. Always have a back up, then if you have a breakdown you handle it. WHAT IFS isnt going to keep me from having the best sounding amp that I can get my hands on!

Customer Support: N/A
I havnt dealt with vox before however I have dealt with Guitar center and I think that they will stand behind what they sell If the intend on keeping repeat business! Its only smart business,

Overall Rating: 10
Put simply I am not going to spend my hard earned money on something that I am unsure about. Yes ,like I said, you want beat the sound of this amp! (period.) Let me also say this, I first bought the tonelab se. From what I was told, the se has the same guts if you will at the valvetronix amps. Its not a bad pedal played along with the marshall back up but it does not compare to the vox ad120vtx valvetronix amp, You have to remember that the cabinet and neodog speakers are going to give you a totally different sound. Also I would say that if you plan on using this amp in a band situation to buy the vc-12 pedal which looks alot like the tonelab se. Who wants or has time to fiddle with amp knobs while playing in a live situation when you can have everything pre-programend in a pedal at the touch of a button not to mention the built in tunner!

Submitted by hollowbody at 12/04/2005 21:45

Price Paid: US $1199

Features: 10
The Vox AD120VTX features are covered pretty well in the other reviews here. I don't need to give a complete list of features here as most readers can look these up on the Vox website or read them in the other reviews here. But I will list my favorite features here:
The amp has a collection of amp models that covers most of the desirable amp tones from clean Fender oriented tones, to over-the-top high gain tones. The amp has a collection of effects that represent two categories 1) effects that you would place in front of the amp (compressor, Wah, overdrive pedals, etc) and effects that you would normally place in the effects loop of an amp (Chorus, Delay, Phase Shifter, Tremelo, etc.) The Reverb is separate from these two effect types. This is a very well thought out configuration since it enables you to configure any amp model with an assortment of effects in front of the amp, and inside the effects loop (awesome feature and extremely useful!). One of the best features in the amp is the ability to set the output power for lower volume if needed. This essentially allows you to get all the tones you would want (simulating a cranked tube amp) at lower volumes if needed. (the amp can be very loud if you need it) For most of my playing I have been using the 2x30watt or 2x15 watt settings. Even at these settings the amp is plenty loud enough to keep up with a live drummer, bass, and keyboard player in a small club setting. The best feature of this amp however, is the VC-12 footswitch. If you are considering this amp you MUST get this pedal to fully appreciate what the amp can do. The pedal is equally well-thought-out as the amplifier itself is. With this pedal you can turn on/off any effects assigned to a preset, change presets, re-call the last preset, and do real-time control of various effects such as wah or rotating speaker speed control. This amp with the VC-12 pedal is by far the most versatile amp setup that I've ever played. Features alone don't make for a great amp, but the features designed into this amp are all very usable.

Sound Quality: 9
This is where the amp really stands out in my opinion. I had owned a Fender CyberTwin for nearly 5 years before bying this amp. The main difference that I've noticed with the Vox as compared to other modeling amps that I've tried is in the responsive feel and tones of the amp. While there are other modeling amps that sound good there are very few that feel very much like a cranked tube amp. With the Vox, even in the clean settings you can feel a big difference in the way the amp responds. The Vox's Fender Twin amp model, for example, has a nice fat warm tone with plenty of sparkle when you turn up the presence. The notes are punchy and fat like you would expect on a realy Twin.

The Vox AC30TB model is equally impressive. Although I've never owned a real AC30, I notice the characteristic tones that I can get with this model. It's great for clean jangly parts, and turns into a monster when you crank up the gain. You can nail everything from classic Beatle tones to a good Brian May imitation if you want it.

Another of my favorite models in the amp is what they call Boutique OD (modeled after a Howard Dumble Overdrive Special). Again, the OD Special is an amp that I've never owned, however I have to take Vox's word for it that this model sound like the real one. This model is absolutely incredible for getting that Roben Ford kind of fat vocal lead tone. I've been using this model to do my Santana lead sounds in the cover band that I play in and it really works well for that. Even with my guitar turned down the amp responds with nice overtones. I use a Hamer Newport which is a hollow-body with P90's. It sounds fantastic with this particlar amp model.

My other favorite amp models are the 70's UK (model of a Marshall Plexi) and the Fender Bassman model. The 70's UK model is really nice for getting a fat vintage Marshall sound. It sounds even better when you select one of the overdrive pedal effects in front of it. You can nail the Eric Clapton Cream era sounds with that setting. (What fun!)

In addition to the great sounding amp models, the effects sounds are just as good. This is the main reason for my getting this amp. I wanted the effects to sound as good as the amp models. The effects in this amp are superb. The Phase shifer sounds like the classic MXR Phase 90, the chourus sounds like a Boss chorus pedal, ... I have yet to find any effect in the amp that didn't sound usable. They did a tremendous job putting all of the most common effects in here. My only gripe is that they didn't provide stereo versions of all the effects. Since the amp is stereo one would expect that most of the effects are stereo but, this is not the case. However, the rotating speaker, and chorus (which are in stereo) sound exceptionally good so this makes it worthwhile to have the stereo amp anyway. But I wish that Vox would make the delays in stereo that would have been even better.

Reliability: 8
This is the one area that concerns me after reading some of the other reviews about the amp and some problems that people had with earlier versions of the amp. I am crossing my fingers that the amp will serve me well and remain reliable. I treat all of my equipment very well and I typically don't play at very high volumes. The only reliability issue that I've noticed is that the amp uses plastic corner covers. Frankly, I would be willing to pay more for such an amp if they would use higher quality parts. Seriously, its the best amp that I've ever had in terms of sounds and flexibilty. If I knew that they used better parts I would be willing to pay extra. However, I'd also read that the VTX series has several reliability improvements over the older versions of the Valvetronix amps. So I'm hoping that I won't have any trouble with it. So far, so good.

Customer Support: N/A
No opinion on this yet.

Overall Rating: 9
This amp represents the best of the current breed of modeling amps in my opinion. I have played them all and this is clearly the best sounding of anything on the market. Especially for live playing, this is the one to have. I have been playing guitar for 28 years and playing professionally since high school. I play in a variety of groups and need access to a wide array of tones. This amp really delivers and I have not found anything that even comes close.

Submitted by Anonymous at 10/10/2005 12:55

Price Paid: US $735.00 used

Features: 10
Im a newbie to this amp, so my opinion probably isnt very helpful or warranted.

Sound Quality: 5
I have a 1984 Jackson Soloist and a 1981 Fender Strat that I play in a cover band. Problem is at rehearsal with the VOX, i have the master volume knob up almost half way and it still very low, not sure why???

Reliability: 5
Not sure on this yet, but like before mentioned, something about the output/volume doesn't seem right...

Customer Support: 2
Have sent a couple emails to Vox asking for help, no reply as of yet.

Overall Rating: 5
Been playing since the age of 8 and am now 39, been thru a lot of gear, Boogie's, Marshall's, Line 6, etc., when i demo'd this amp at GC it was amazing!!! But when i bought one and played it live, ugh! Don't know what to do, I just wanted a combo amp that wouldn't break my back, something simple to use, pack and go...and the Vox seemed like the answer, heck when played at GC i could feel the 'bottom-end' thru the floor...don't seem to feel that once i got it home.

Submitted by Trey Michael Paige at 09/22/2005 07:26

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A
Not applicable to this review submission. See previous remarks.

Sound Quality: N/A
Again, see my earlier remarks from a previous submission.

Reliability: 1
Ok. This is where I have something to say. In my earlier review, I praised this amp for it's features and sound quality. I had also said that I was concerned about some of the other reviews regarding the reliability and was wondering if I was next on list of unfortunate schmucks. Well, after only 65 days of limited home use the left speaker just cut out permanetly. I recall someone else mentioning this as well. The major retail outfit whom I purchased this from (their initials are G.C.) would not swap it out for another one on the floor because this happened after the 60 day cut-off even though I have dropped around 4K + there. Fortuantly I bought the extended protection plan which covers parts, labor and shipping. It only takes one bad experience for me with a product name or retailer to leave a bad tast in my mouth. My confidence in Vox is at the bottom. If this were just an isolated case that's one thing. But it would seem that I am not alone in my relaibility issues. I will say this however. I have a Roland MicorCube practice amp which I play through every night in front of the TV just to stay in practice and it never gives me any grief. I had a Roland Jazz Chorus years ago which again, never let me down. But I was led to the Vox by the Salesman which in retrospect was a mistake. Should have Kept walking towards the Roland when I entered the store. Come on Vox. You have been making amplifiers for ever. What's so difficult about making one that won't take a crap after a couple of months. It's not exactly Astro Physics you idiots.

Customer Support: N/A
We'll find out I guess.

Overall Rating: N/A
Buy a Roland.

Submitted by Scott Rolf at 09/18/2005 17:13

Price Paid: US $1,000.00

Features: 9
I have recently gotten back into playing and the only gear I kept from my band days was my 1973 Stratocaster, which I purchased new. My style of playing is modeled after Steve Hackett and Peter Frampton. I needed a new amp. and was familiar with Marshall and Roland as those were my amps of choice back in the day. I wanted that warm tube sound like the Marshall and a clean jazz sound as with the Roland plus some modeling for extra versitility. I was introduced to the Vox by the salesman who knew what I was looking for after speaking with him. The pedal effects are strong with the exception of the chorus which is not up to the Roland standard but not bad either. I would like to be able to link the pedals but isn't absolutly necessary. The amp modeling is to my ear very close. I love the tape delay which reminds me of the echoplex from my old band days. 32 presets is way to much. There is no way anyone can remember what particular sound is stored is which location. So, what I did was to write my own sounds on the first 4 banks. That gives my 16 of my personal presets which is plenty for a guy who is used to two cannels: clean and dirty. Overall, more than enough features.

Sound Quality: 8
I have added two more guitars to keep my Strat company. A 2002 Dean USA HardTail and a new just delivered Gibson custom shop 1957 Les Paul Junior. The sound is very solid and plenty of volume. My only concern is that with some of the dirty effects the sound seems to dribble away and break up instead of an even fade. This can be comphensated for by adjusting the gain and compression a little. I have not had any vibration or ratteling as some have mentioned. Ok, this next comment is to the guy who said that this amp is good only if you like dirty distorted sounds. This Vox does a very fine job with not just one type or clean sound but a varity of clean selections. I just takes half a brain and a little time to know how to make the adjustments. The lab called, your brain is ready.

Reliability: 9
This is the main reason for my review submission. The most important factor in any equipment selection is relibility. It doesn't matter how good it sounds. If it doesn't work it's usless. I am concerned that there have been more than one review stating that their Vox had developed problems after a few months of use. I don't really understand how a non-mechanical piece of equipment can for no aparant reason stop working. There is an initial burn in period and if it passes then it should be good for many years. I have never had an amplifier failure in any application. Like many of you I have had this for just a few months now with no problems. Should I be waiting for the other shoe to drop? What specifically seems to be the problem other than "it just quit working". If this Vox continues to deliver without any problems then I can holestly say that I am very pleased with my purchase. However if this proves to be otherwise then I'll dump it and get a Bogner.

Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had a need to contact them and hope I never do.

Overall Rating: 9
Overall, this Vox does the job quite nicely. There is one thing that I don't really like about this Vox and that's the gold plastic logo. It would be very easy to break off and it looks cheap. I like the way Marshall does their logo. However, this is only cosmetic and therefore not that big of a deal.

Submitted by Scott Rolf at 09/06/2005 22:38

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 1
This amp has about 50 fx possibilities that go all the way from crappy to pointless.

Sound Quality: 1
I was trying to use it in a rehearsal space in NYC. First I tried my pedalsteel then we tried a Gibson 335. No matter what we did the sound was weak and thin for the unusable fake"clean" settings and rediculous for the FX settings. It was like when you are used to a real BF deluxe and then you put your zoom multi fx in line. You go from glorious to choked and phony sounding. The modeling stuff is such crap its depressing. I can't believe people find it remotely acceptable. Like listening to low res mp3's through ear buds.

Reliability: 2
If you want to get that overcompressed angry midgets down the hall modern rock sound this is your amp !

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 1
I've been playing music for a living for 25 years. Spend your money on a real amp and skip this sort of trash. Practice more and learn how to get a good sound with your hands.

Submitted by Phil Saunders at 08/20/2005 10:56

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 9
2004 model. Plenty of features...almost too many for my taste. I'm more of a plug and play kind of guy, but wanted some versatility. This amp definitely nails it in that category. The tube/valve is a nice touch and adds some warmth to the tones to make them all in all very pleasing. I use this as a backup amp or an alternative amp for live settings (only small to medium sized clubs right now) and it has plenty of power. What's really great about this amp though is the power rating switch in back, allowing me to play the same tones I use live in a bedroom setting. I just wish it came with the footswitch; it really is a neccesity and the fact that it's $300 extra is a bit annoying at best.

Sound Quality: 7
I have a fender american vintage '62 strat and a schecter c-1 elite. I tend to use the fender with my twin reverb reissue and the schecter with the vox only because I feel the vox is better suited for humbuckers. It's good for loud rock which I like to play. I like having a bluesy edge to my tone and it does that well too. It even manages some pretty good metal distortion when I feel like going wild. I really enjoy the sounds I can get from this amp when screwing around in my bedroom or garage...however, this amp does not cut very well in a band. I got the 120 watt version specifically so I could continue using it if my band starts play larger venues. Most of the time though I find myself using all 120 watts with lots of volume for our mild club settings to get my leads to cut through. It's a bit of a bummer. If anyone knows of a pedal I could put in front of this amp to make it cut, that'd be great if you could let me know. Also, on a side note, the ultra light speakers create some buzzing sometimes which is terribly annoying. I might end up replacing the speakers altogether.

Reliability: 10
It's suited me fine so far.

Customer Support: N/A
haven't had to deal with them

Overall Rating: 8
I've been playing 5 years, but don't get me wrong, I'm pretty accomplished for my age and know good tone. As stated before, I have an american strat and a fender twin reverb. I use a maxon od-808 ibanez ts-9 and vox wah in front of the twin. I also have the schecter which I stated before, that I run straight to the vox. I love the tones I can get on my own with the vox, which leads me to believe it would be great for recording, but the fact that it doesn't cut really bugs me. Perhaps the Seymour Duncan pickup booster would help? I don't know. Also, once again, I really wish it had the foot pedal included. It is an absolute neccesity for live settings. I got the amp for a great price so I don't really mind all these small nuances, but nonetheless, I like to complain.

Submitted by Garrett Cook at 07/24/2005 20:52

Price Paid: US $1199

Features: 9
2004... I bought it after trying out many amps... what is striking about this amp is the ability to easily manipulate sounds and at low volume levels due to the volt switch on back... the chorus feature allows for a nice wide sound... the amp modeling is decent.. and the tube/valve allows for tube dynamics especially when the master is up almost all the way.. at nite I plug-in my flat headphones.. there is enough power at 100 watts... it takes a bit to program it the way you wish but when it's programmed it's beautiful....

Sound Quality: 8
2 main guitars- customized 1975 Les Paul Deluxe with QM1 pickup on the neck and Schaller pickup at the bridge... QM1 brings out the wood (ala "Sweet Child of Mine" lead) while the Schaller allows for Southern Rock Gibson sound(ala ZZ-top, Skynard).. I also have a straight 2004 USA Fender Strat(no noise reduction, all single-coil) all stock.. what this amp does well is carry the mids and allow for the raw wood sounds.. the 1980's Marshall Amp features allow for the
80's rock sound esp. with chorus up.. I think the amp is a little weak on the clean sounds (Fender Ultra Chorus is a good amp for this) and probably won't be the greatest Heavy Metal Tube Amp like a Marshall's JCM Stack.. but I bought it specifically for the sounds that I like Mid to Low range textured guitaring...

Reliability: N/A
I haven't had it long enough to comment on this... I know I'm going to get a back up tube... although I've been told the tube can handle the load..

Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had it long enough to comment on this...

Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing 25 years or so.. I've sold my other gear over the years.. had a Mesa Boogie Maverick Class A amp... it was very nice, very loud.. had a 1986 Peavey T-60 which--I think--is a little under-rated esp. for clean sound and blues sound.. I just gave a Fender UltraChorus to my nephew.. I may end up purchasing another one in the future due to its clean sound.. I've tried many amps: Fenders- Twin and Deville, Marshall JCM's, Crates, Peaveys, Carvin--I think, etc.
I'm satisifed with the Valvetronix, it suits my needs for the most part.. if it was lost or stolen, I'd buy another one--it's hard to get the sounds I look for..

Submitted by john at 06/20/2005 21:29

Price Paid: US $800

Features: 9
whew...anyone who gives this amp a bad rating for features is insane. The 32 storable programs are great, and the AC30 amp model sounds awesome. I won't list all the features, but you can change the quality of the sound in many different ways, easily from the top of the amp and store your program for later use at the touch of 2 buttons. Only downfall in my opinion is that you can only use one pedal effect at a time.

Sound Quality: 10
I play a couple different styles... I like playing bach and things like that on the Clean Boutique setting with a little reverb and chorus...it really sounds sweet. You can get so many sounds out of this amp, i can play bach one minute and then switch to heavy metal the next. I read the thing about someone's cab vibrating, and that is hard to believe, because this amp rattles my brain before anything on the cab rattles.

Reliability: N/A
Seems fine so far?

Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had to deal with. I will say that they have good support for their products online...you can download the entire user manual.

Overall Rating: 9
I love this amp...If lost or stolen I would definitely buy another. I can get just about any sound I want out of this amp...a couple of my friends got line 6 amps for their little heavy metal cover bands, but with this amp, you can get good clean sounds, and more than enough distortion for heavy metal. Check out the tube overdrive with the clean boutique and some reverb...now try to get that sound out of a line 6 amp. muuuch more versatile than anything i have ever seen before.

Submitted by hellotman at 05/20/2005 08:00

Price Paid: 1500.00 (Canadian)

Features: 9
I'd like to give it a 10 but keep finding myself wishing there was more control of the perameters. Also I wish I could pair the stomp boxes so I could use more than 1 at a time. Some cabinet settings would be nice to for recording. If they had more leds to say what setting was being used would be helpful. All and all though this amp just plain rocks.

Sound Quality: 10
I use a variety of guitars. Gibson ES-137, Gibson T.V Special. G&L Legacy, Fender Strat and to the core they all sound great. I've been using the ADT-120 for over a year and it has never let me down. I've amazed more than a few players with the amps tones, feedback responsivness, touch sensitivity and effects. I'm definatley a gear hound and have owned most rigs in the 30 years I've been playing. From Fender to Mesa, Rivera racks to Soldano and Marshalls and have to say I just love this amp. A friend of mine brought a Fender bass- man circa 68 and a Vibrolux with a Fender 4 x 12 extension cab and within minutes I had dialed up his exact tone. By exact I mean close your eyes and tell the diference. The only way was at the time I was using a Marshall 4 x 12 extension cab so I had more bottom end.
In fact I love these amps so much I have now bought a second, a VTX to couple together with the original issue VTH through the VC-12 pedal board to start blending sounds from the 2 seeing as the VC-12 will let you control 2 amps at once. Imagine A marshall 800 and a soldano blend. Or a Vox ac-30tb paired with a black-face 2 x 12 wonderful.
The echoes are great especially the tape echoe. It reminds me of my beloved Roland Space Echoe that died years ago. The reverb is more than usable. As far as the other effects I don't really use them much but I will be trying a few external rack types into the loops of both amps to create some sounds I can call my own. I have also just recently purchased the Vox 2 x 12 extension cab. So coupled with the 2 x 12 Marshall cab I have it should be interesting to say the least.

Reliability: 10
As I mentioned above I have owned my original for over a year and not A problem at all. No weird sounds, no crackles or loose parts.

Customer Support: 10
Emailed them some questions at first and they responded in a reasonable amount of time. In fairness the store I deal with have their own techs on staff and any problems are serviced right in house. This is where it pays to shop at a bigger chain. Long and Mcquades rocks

Overall Rating: 10
30 years plus playing. I've own most amps in existance. After 9 months of playing the Vox to make sure the novelty wore off. I sold my Rivera Rack mount behemouth. Look up the Rivera TBR-2SL revue I wrote a few years back, It's still on here, I said I would never sell it.
Touch my Vox I break your balls. Steal my Vox I cut them off.

Submitted by Bill Dallier / Wildriff1 at 04/12/2005 13:19

Price Paid: $1500 (Canadian)

Features: 9
Many have listed the features below and they can be readily found at:
http://www.voxamps.co.uk/

I found that this amp satisfied me as far as power and sound capabilities including some of the unique features such as the power adjustment at the back. What I like about it is the fact that it has a nice intuitive user interface and you can dial in things easily and get a great sound with that. The stereo effects sound great! I would have liked to see a bit more flexibility in the effects selection/combinations but I'll take that as being a very minor detail. Another feature that isn't mentioned is if the amp can be updated or not. This would have been a great feature if they perhaps could update the models as new technology comes out....but then again, they wouldn't make any money that way. Why have thet when you can have someone go out and buy a new amp instead.

Sound Quality: 10
Here is where the amp really changed my perspective on things. I went into this with a Line 6 HD147 and a Boogie vertical 2x12 cab. The cab was great, but the head was probably the biggest disappointment. Thin sounding, lack of bottom end, etc. It just didn't have the umph I was looking for. I found that I wanted to get back to a combo setup and I was going in with the intent of purchasing a Rectoverb 50 combo. It has a quality sound but in essence, only 2 or 3 distinct sounds and no effects.

However, this little gem caught my eye. I checked out the features of it online and heard some samples. I then noticed that the cabinet was a closed back design which is exactly what I wanted because I love that low end thump you get from that setup. As well, the amp had built in effects which was a bonus. In essence, it pretty well had everything I wanted....but how the heck did it sound?

They had one at the local store that had just come in. I had just sold my previous setup and was actively looking. I was also considering a 6505 combo but the weight of that thing was unbearable. I had the Rectoverb directly beside the Valvetronix. The Rectoverb sounded great, the Valvetronix well....it just sounded better and fuller thanks to the 2 speakers. I really wonder how some reviewers can write off the gain section of this amp....it is in one word....tremendous! The Soldano model is fabulous and really give a beautiful growl when cranked and has plenty of gain. The rectifier model is very good. I think they could have toyed with the cab modeling a bit more on it but it still does sound better than most if all of the other modellers out there. The marshall DSL model is fantastic. Great tone and gain to it. The JCM 800 model is also very true to the original! The classic Vox models sound authentic and paired with a nice combination of effects, really sound sweet.

The combination of the new speakers, closed back and the tube inserted into the power amp section really smooths things over nicely and adds an authentic feel to the sound. A solid setup. Nothing is perfect, but for me this amp does it nicely!

Reliability: 5
No problems with it for a few months now. Plastic corners are cheap but Marshall has been using those forever, so no biggie there. The handles could be of a higher quality but I haven't had any issues with them yet. I like the fact that they put the two on the top outsides...makes it much easier to load. Amp has no rattles or squeaks when cranked.

There were some folks complaining about quality issues, etc....but that sounded more like hype to me.

I had more problems with my Vetta combo and my HD147 then any other amp I've owned and I'm glad I switched out of those products. I'll give this a neutral rating because I haven't had it long enough but at the same time haven't had any issues in that time.

Customer Support: N/A
Haven't dealt with them as of yet so no rating for this section.

Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing for over 27 years now. I've owned all types of tube and solid state amps and combos. When I look back at what I've had, it is a bit shocking but apparently many of us do this sort of thing quite regularly.

Overall, this is a great amplifier for what I am doing with it. I haven't explored running this direct, etc as I use GuitarRig for that which is amazing! However, this amp sounds solid at all volumes....coupled with excellent and very authentic modelling I was very impressed. I've lost that "broken vaccum" sound that I was living with in the Line6 products and now have something that sounds a bit more well rounded. Heavy tones are easily achieved with this amp. The closed back is exactly what I was looking for as well as an easy and quick to setup amp for sounds, etc. I'm looking into picking up the better footboard for it at some point soon as well. There are a couple of things that I would have liked it to have such as a better quality on board tuner and the ability to be updated but alas, no problem. It sounds great!

Submitted by Paul G. at 04/05/2005 11:38

Price Paid: US $950

Features: 9
Was looking for an amp to replace my SeymourDuncon 60W convertable...this definately fit the bill. Was tired of cables, boxes underfoot! I play at a fairly aggressive sounding church regularly with sound very seasoned veteran musicians...I have NEVER gotten so may positive comments on my sound from such a wide spectrum of players:drummer, bass, keys and leader who plays acoustic! I also play at a number of blues jams...people love the sound it's putting out. Features missing..multiple effects such as compression with tube driver etc. Foot pedal should be less expensive..(I bought the *-12 pedal for $260. Volume is HIGH, coulda went with the 60w, but the stereo effects are nice. Headphone jack is awesome addition(ask my wife)Very versatile for getting all the different tones needed in church(yes I DO get to play nicely 'gained' solos on occasion in church!)My styles are Eric Johnson, Satch, Vai, Stevie R. and David Gilmore....ah yes and a big plug for Joe Bonnamassa(blues beyond just I/IV/V)...if you haven't heard him GET SOME!

Sound Quality: 9
I play a '61 strat with only middle original pickup. A bit noisy on bridge pickup (seymoure duncan stacked switchable circa 1987) Neck is is dang I forgot, but it's very Jimi or Stevie when crunchy sound going. Amp can play just about any sound I can think of...only little glitch at low potentiometer volumes the amp kinda does a funny volume cycling thing....where it sounds very digital, but turn the volume knob up and voila!It sings righeously!

Reliability: N/A
Owned it 1.5 months....all good so far!

Customer Support: N/A
Bought extended 3 year warranty....hey I am learning as I get older...(48) that the money is well worth it ....when the bad thing happens!

Overall Rating: N/A
Been playing for 35 years. I love the tone of this amp...it 'frees' me to experiment again with my playing and not worry about the sounds that are sneeking out...(with previous amp) I shopped ....
line6: tool tinny, Marshall: not enough versatility for where I was playing. Fender Cyber: I liked Vox's sound better..
Overall very pleased with the sound and so are the folks listening to it/me! cool! Cheers!
Mark

Submitted by Mark Adrien at 04/04/2005 13:33

Price Paid: 1200 (EUR)

Features: 9
I don't want to add a feature list here. Please check the Vox website.
Just one thing: The power amplification idea of using a real tube before transforming the power works great and you realy got the feeling of a tube amp.
Actually there is nothing really missing on this amp, if you use it with the VC-12 foot controller.

The NeoDog speakers are a real reason to buy the VTX version and not the VT! There sound is much better and easier to hear when playing with the band. Much more punch and power than the original Celestions.
Do not save the money, just spend it to get the VTX version.

Sound Quality: 10
I play a Paul Reed Smith CE24 and a Fender American Standard Stratocaster with SD Hotrail Pickup on Bridge position.
Together with this amp, I could get almost any kind of sounds I wanted easily. I play in cover bands since 20 years, but it is the first time I had an amp that covers all needs at a very high quality level.
The user interface is very easy to understand and makes it simple to use even for "no-computer-guy" guitarists. The manual is easy to understand and great fun to read! All features are discribed perfectly.

Now for the comparision:
I own also a Line6 AX2 (will be sold!) and Flextone II (for home play).
Before I decided to buy the VOX AD120VTX, I compared the following amps with my band under real live conditions:

H&K Zentera
- very good amp, but only good sounding at high volumes.
This was the reason not to buy it.
EFXs are not state-of-the-art quality.

Line6 Vetta II
- Best EFX of all modeling amps
But playing the amps without EFX is poor.
Amp simulations have no "balls" ;-)
Not even close to Zentera.

Line6 AX2
- simply too old to compare
The AX2 is still OK, if you can get him for a good price.
EFX section is still very good.

Line6 Flextone II
- Much better tone than AX2
EFXs are a little less, but almost all you need.

Afterall, the VOX AD120VTX kicks them all out of my list.

The Vox has BALLs! The dry amp tone is great for almost all amp models.
The Marshall amps are great thanks to the developer, who was coming from Marshall to Vox. Of course the Ac30TB sim. is great too.
The EFX are all is good quality and more than enough for a band player.
Clean sounds are punchy and funky. Vintage 60s sounds are easy really authentic. Marshall sounds are great and Vox Ac sounds too.

The acoustic guitar simulation is easy to operate and creates a good result (better than all of the other amps).

There is only one thing that worry me in the beginning:
The volume was too low.
In the shop all of the presets were not loud enough when Master is 10 and power switch is 2x60W.
BUT... after changing the volume settings of the stored programs
I could set the Master to 5 and now the total volume level is big. I think Vox should change that to avoid a bad first impression.

Reliability: 10
I am playing this amp now for 3 monthes with 9 gigs.
So far there was no problem at all.
Also the Line Outs work very well and were easy to handle for the FOH guy.
As I use the VC-12 foot controller, I can just say it works great and I'm almost sure, that I can never destroy this one.
My Line6 Floorboard had several repairs already.
But the VC-12 is much, much, much better than the VC-4 or the Line6 quality.

Customer Support: 10
I just once contacted the support guys and they where very helpful and kind. Very good service!

Overall Rating: 10
Great amp !!!
Big value for the money !!!

This amp should be the first choise for those guitarists, who play cover music and need a flexible amp, but want to get a realistic sound.
With this amp YOU decide your the sound and not the amp (like Line6).

My equipment history:
H&K Triamp
Marshall JCM 900 with 1960AV
Marshall JMP-1
Hiwatt 100W
Orange 50W
Digitech GSP-2101
Roland GP-8
Marshall 4501 Combo
Line6 AX2
Line6 Flextone II
and many other stuff.....

Submitted by Michael at 03/11/2005 02:13

Price Paid: US $1200

Features: 9
The most impressive feature of this amp is the output power setting, and it's what made the sale for me. You can dial in 4 different output settings from 2 watts (1 watt per channel stereo) to 120 watts (60 watts per channel). When you're playing at small venue (or practicing), you can set it to the 2x1 or 2x15 watt output and still get really big sound at lower volumes.

Also, you don't have to be a computer geek to program this amp either. All the controls are fairly intuitive and dial in like they should on a guitar amp. I have a Digitech GSP-21 and I hate programming that thing, but this amp makes it easy to get the tone I'm looking for and store the settings. You have 32 storage locations in the amp itself and 96 total if you get the VC-12 foot controller to go with it.

The only thing I don't like about the programming features is the inability to load or backup your programs without buying the foot controller. It would be nice if you could at least dump and restore the programs to a notebook computer.

Sound Quality: 10
Tone, tone, and more tone. The 12AX7 on the power amp stage adds to the overall harmonics and warmth of the sound. The Celestion NeoDog 12" speakers sound great and really compliment the light-weight design. I recommend setting the appropriate power output and cranking the master volume to get the best results from the power amp stage and speakers.

The VOX tone has stood the test of time and this amp can also deliver really decent "model" tones of other amps as well. Don't let the pre-defined programs fool you... I can dial in almost any tone I can think of with this amp. It's pretty cool when I listen to the radio in my car on the way to work and think, "I can get that sound, and that sound, and that sound..." Just take a little time to tweak the default programs and I think you'll be very happy.

Reliability: N/A
Not sure yet. Just bought it a week ago and it hasn't moved from my office. I have, however, already put in about 40 hours on the amp this past week alone.

Customer Support: N/A
N/A

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for about 25 years and I play anything from jazz and blues to punk and metal.

I never recommend anyone buy a particular piece of equipment, but I would definately recommend you go to a local music store and play with this amp for an hour or two. I think you'll find the combination of sound and versatility are not matched by any other amp on the market right now. I compared it to a Line 6, CyberTwin, and V-Tone (all 2x12 combos) and this one was way above the others for sound quality and usability. I even compared it to the Fender Deluxe Chorus, Twin Reverb and a Marshall JCM2000 series for tone quality and response and it stood it's ground.

Just make sure you have the cash when you go to check this puppy out. I'll be broke for the next week or so because of this purchase, but to me it was worth every penny. Now I just have to save up some money for the VC-12 foot controller and the 4x12 cab and I'll be set. :~)-

Submitted by Glen at 01/21/2005 23:45

Price Paid: 740 (uk pounds)

Features: 10
This amp has a huge amount of features, the range of amp models are excellent and the effect models can be tweaked simply to suit almost any style. this is a very versatile amp and for a demanding musician who plays a wide variety of different styles at numerous venues, it is ideal.
it has 16 amp models
about 21 pedal types (like wah, od, comp etc)
about 11 effects like reverb delay and modulation
and a really useful variable power amp (2x1watt, 2x15watt, 2x30watt and 2x60watt) which is excellent for being able to suite the volume to the venue and still being able to drive the power amp properly!
the tuner is good and there are loads of patches for saving sounds to.
plus, it's so easy to use! very hands on rather than menu based!

Sound Quality: 10
i am using a guitar built by myself which is a cross between a strat and a les paul with semi solid construction and a thru neck. it has dimarzio humbuckers that are tappable and facilitate phase reversal. the sound are amazing and sooo warm! and its worht noting that this is the first amp i have EVER owned where i can just plug straight in w/o the aid of any external boost,drive or EQ! so it make my live setup far more straight forward. the authenticity of the amp models are entirely down to who hears them, whats more important is that the sounds available are all very usable, of course i cant argue with the vox sounds! the noise gate works a treat and doesnt affect the attack or decay of the notes as on other amps and effects and the effects are very organic and "in your face", maybe too much so for some tastes as for example a very slight flange or phase is not possible even with the depth at zero. but this doesnt affect me, if i need an effect i need it to be forthcoming. there is plenty of depth to the clean and the distorted tones, probably afforded by the valves in the power section. and the compression is excellent. one the only multi fx based compressors that actually work properly!! its obvious a lot of effort has gone into the sound quality on vox/korgs part.

Reliability: 10
i am more than happy with this amp so far. i have used it to the extremes and i cant imagine vox allowing an amp of this standard and esspecially price have any silly oversights in reliability. obviously the nature of this amp makes it more delecate than a robust transistor amp, but no more delicate than a valve amp.

Customer Support: 9
i bought the amp from electro music in doncaster, england and their after sales service is excellent. i have a technical query and they gave me the number for korg uk ltd who, when called transferred me to a technical support team and then got an engineer to call me back, who did so in 30mins or so. i was impressed by this alone as some comanies fail to do this!. the nature of the query was that when experimenting i used the booster output of my brian may special amp on full to drive an amp model at extreme levels of gain, which created digital distortion an white noise on the attack of the notes, it turned out that as it was connected to the high impedence input it was just too high an input. reducing gain on the VBM-1 or switching to the low impedence resolved this straght away. remember this is a digital pre-amp, not valve, it sound excellent but cant perform miracles.

Overall Rating: 10
ive played guitar for just over four years and have owned and used lots of equipment for both live work and home recording. i used to use a les paul copy with a small marshall combo with a zoom gfx-4 driving the amp further using masses of EQ and EQGain to boost the input. i then upgraded to a ibanez rg style guitar and a Marshall AVT150 1/2 Stack witht he gfx-4 but eventually went for a pod xt plugged into the marshalls fx return. i got the ad120 to elimate the need for loads of equipment and get a lighter more portable amp with the amenities of the pod. this amp surpassed any expectations i had. for me personally this amp is ideal. i would replace it if stolen. shold i need more volume it can be connected to two external cabs, either 8ohms or 16ohms whilst keeping the internat speakers intact. the lack of midi doesnt really affect me and the vc-12 floorboard is essential for most live use and at £200 is expesive but very worthwhile, good quality, equal to the excellent line6 shortboard and with a free padded carrycase and bus cable! need i say more. if anyone reading this is thiking of getting one, if youre like me then you'll love ti, if youre not like me, youll probably still love it, but go and try one and let your ears decide, cause thats the only way to know for sure.

Submitted by John Kendall at 05/27/2004 13:47

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A
Hey I love my Valvetronix 120, One problem~~~~~~ I play loud and on low notes I hear crackling sound, I found out its comming form the imput where I plug in the guitar. That sux! It happens when ever it wants, now I have to take it to the shop and the tech hates these "on-board chips stuff" So I assume the vibration is rattling the input,,, Kork pay attention to this because you made the best amp I have ever played through and I have been playing on amps since 1966~~~~Guy

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Guy Johnson at 02/18/2004 12:25

Price Paid: Too much!

Features: 6
Everything was said. You know its features. It's almost everything you need to play guitar. But - no MIDI, no display - you have to turn the know to see with "Original LED" what value is stored in the program... When using an external cabinet there is now way to mute internal speakers. Quite useful tuner - better than in my G-Major (TC). Very light combo - and that's a source of lot of problems (more later). Six points - mostly because of MIDI... You have to buy very expensive VC12 pedal or crappy plastic one...

Sound Quality: 5
I play for years. I had a lot of real tube amps, also simulated ones(Line6). I have two Ernie Ball guitars: Music Man Axis Super Sport and Silhouette Special. Like Gibson and Fender ;-) My last "real-tube" setup was Mesa/Boogie TriAxis+TC G-Major+Carvin T100 amp+H&K 4x12" Celestion Greenback cabinet and Fender Twin amp.

First time I played VTX I was very, very disappointed. A lot of money and plastic amp with plastic sound. Later I prepared my set of sounds. And today I can say it's very good sounding amp. Much more better than all these Line6 combos. I'm not gonna compare simulating with real amp, it has no sense for me. I like its sound or not and it doesn't matter if it's AC30 or Blackface simulation. And most of VTX sounds are realy useful and good sounding. You have to spend some time to tweak them but it's almost any sound you need except nu-metal sounds.
But the sound is everything you can hear, not only modelling... And here is the problem. It's closed combo, very light, light speakers... So you can hear not only your guitar sound but also terrible resonating cabinet and what's a nightmare: a very resonating chassis on some notes. It vibrates with different frequencies, like rumbilng bas strings in grandpiano ;) Believe me, it's not acceptable. Vox's known that an older version - AD120VT had the same problem and did nothing to correct it.
Effects - simple and cheap, nothing like good TC/Lexicon DSPs, but for combo they're ok. Virtual stomp boxes - Compressor, uni-vibe, Tube OD, Treble Boost are ok, the rest is only a nice addition ;) Mono delays only.
A quite interesting effect is a hum. Yes - you don't have to move Master volume from zero position and you can hear quite loud hum from power amp - noise gate works in the preamp only...
Another interesting effects are crackles. Just leave your amp powered, turn down guitar volume and wait a couple of minutes. You can hear nice crackles/drops with no reason when and why.

So for the "real" guitar sounds I can give 9 but for all these "additional" effects I give 1, so 5 is too much...

Reliability: 5
I'm afraid to gig with this amp... A lot of problems in studio, home... I don't trust it. When I've got it, the plastic corner where broken... Most of screws where unscrewed, maybe because of the transport.

Customer Support: 1
What? Does it exist? I emailed them - no help. Forget about support. Maybe if you're in the USA or UK you could get help but in other countries don't count for any help.

Overall Rating: 2
I had a lot of amps, never had any problems with them and most of them I've bought used. VTX is the my third amp I've bought as a new. And I'm sure I'll never do the same mistake. Very expensive with a lot of problems. You pay for no support, no help, plastic parts, hum, bad resonace and some really nice sounds. The choice is yours.

Submitted by Player at 02/04/2004 15:38

Price Paid: US $800

Features: N/A

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: 2
This concerns the valuvetronix AD120VT. Its a great sounding amp but after only doing 2 gigs, its crapped out totally. The power is on,but no sound. Vox wont believe they are having a problem with the first issue of this amp. I have fenders that are 30 years old that have never missed a call to duty in their life. This is a real bummer for a giggin musician. The amp needs to be re-thought and overhauled. After looking around on the internet, I find Im not the only one experiencing the exact same problem with this amp. Vox says, insert a guitar cord in and out of the "phone out jack", that should fix it. Right! What a joke. The problem is in the inferior printed board and the lack of test time on the road. Do they think everyone is just going to keep it nice,warm and cozy in their apartment or something? What a drag. Great sounds and cool look, absolutely no dependability what so ever. Low marks for this amp.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Steve at 01/12/2004 08:14

Price Paid: US $1079

Features: 8
Plenty of features. Tons of very solid amp sounds in here.

People who are seriously into rack effects gear will not be fully satisfied with this amp though. It has all the basics, but there's nothing exotic here. I personally find the effects to be average, or slightly above average. I think some of them are somewhat diluted, but they're OK.

If I was judging this category just on effects, it would get a six. The amp models score it points (see "Sounds") and so does the VC-12 footswitch I got with it (See "Overall Rating") -- so I think 8 is about right.

Sound Quality: 9
I don't know how they are marketing this amp, but they should market it as "the modeling amp for people who don't like modeling amps." I've always hated modeling amps because: (1) I think they sound like toys; and (2) I want to play guitar, not program a freekin' computer. The Vox is much better tone-wise and the layout of the "programming" is much more user-friendly than say, the Line6 Vetta (or the Hal 9000, as I like to call it).

Its tones are a million times more authentic than any other modeling amp I've tried/heard. I just got rid of my Marshall TSL 100, which is an all tube amp that has very good tone. The Vox rivals it (not quite as good, but damn close for a 'ling amp). Its tones are a million times more authentic than any other modeling amp I've tried/heard. This one NAILS a couple of the sounds (some of the Fenders are really dead on, and obviously they Voxes).

I play a Les Paul Standard through it, and it sounds fantastic. Good amp for cover bands, because of it's versatility. We also do originals, though, and the AD120VTX is also solid for true tones and for creativity. My only complaint -- not enough clean sounds (only two).

Reliability: N/A
I've only had it a few weeks, but no problems so far. I actually got this one instead of the AD 120VT because of all the reliability problems with it. I'm going to get a road case for it, though, because I don't want to take any chances.

Customer Support: 9
This is where I'll disagree with a number of other reviews. I actually called Korg (Vox's US distributor) prior to buying this to ask some very technical questions. I actually spoke with a human, and his actual job was to talk to customers on technical issues. With any other manufacturer (other than Mesa Boogie), you'd talk to some "customer service rep." whose never played a guitar before. The Vox product rep. was very honest (he admitted problems with early AD 120VT models). He answered my questions well, especially on the reliability issue -- which I'm super uptight about. I hope I'll never have to talk to them again, but if I do I think they'll do me right.

Overall Rating: 8
I've played for 15 years and I've owned a good number of amps. Getting this amp was a huge change in direction for me, because I've always gone more for authentic tube heads. This is the first modeling amp that MAY be of professional caliber. I'll wait to make the final judgment on that -- especially after gigging with it -- but so far, so good.

ALSO -- VERY IMPORTANT. I got the VC-12 footswitch which is 1,000,000,000 times better than the little VC-4 piece of crap. The VC-12 is a solid chucnk of equipment that is definately road-worthy. The VC-4 would get broken by just staring at it too hard. DO NOT GET THE VC-4. SPEND THE EXTRA $150 AND GET THE VC-12.

Submitted by Anonymous at 12/12/2003 14:46

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A
This is a "possibitlity" tip for the guy with the "vibrating cab" problem. I had what sounds to be the exact same problem on my new Traynor custom valve 80. I tightened all the screws - kept happening. I took the whole thing apart and put it back together (with Traynor's maintenance specs in hand of course) - kept happening. I never thought for one second it could be a cabling problem, but that is exactly what it turned out to be. One of the cables between my guitar and amp was bad and that is in fact what caused this sound; a sound that sounded like it could only be born of bad amp construction. Might not apply to you, but speaking from experience I would definatley suggest starting with the lowest common denominator. Good luck.

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Anonymous at 10/29/2003 13:55

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 9
Everyone knows the features

Sound Quality: 10
Great sound.. Best amp modeler out there

Reliability: 8
I have had no buzzing problems with this model. I will, however, note that they keep revamping this model with improvements. I got one just a few days ago. I've bought and return this before when trying to find my favorite amp. I feel sorry for the guy with the vibrating cab. The problems I had in the past was line noise no matter what setting,etc.. It was fixed in the new model(closed back). I don't know what they did, but it's gone. Now I must say I returned one also because one speaker sounded louder in one side. Also, for the guy with the vibrating cab, did you try removing all the screws and lifting the back off then screw it back in? It doesn't cause anything to fall loose. I've checked mine out before I decided to keep it. I've never had a vox amp with cracks in the frame, but enough of other combos that were split and crap. Not a problem straight up, but in the long run and just the fact that I'm paying for something this much that it should be perfect. What's funky to me is there was a huge piece of that white stuffing junk inside the cab of mine?! I have no idea what the hell it's in there for. I finally decided to go with a power amp. Not because of the combo, but the vox tonelab that came out. I will report back here next week when I get that. I got that because it's superior to all their heads/combos except the fact that you cannot limit the output like you do on their amps. I'll be using a power amp.

Customer Support: 1
Piss poor... one I got my very first one(open back model) they didn't send one damn email back... and that was 1 year ago. Blow me Customer support.

Overall Rating: 8
Make sure you order from a mail order company.. They usually sell tons of them ensuring you'll most likely get the latest revamped version. Going to a music shop could have the first run of the line that's been sitting there collecting dust.

Submitted by Anonymous at 10/23/2003 21:18

Price Paid: US $1200

Features: 8
Lots of features and very good quality effects built in. Some will most likely want more tweakable effects(not that they are garbage or anything). The effects sound superb and are easy to find the sweet spot.

Sound Quality: 10
The sound is super. It's the best modeling combo amp at this time. I've wasted my time by trying a line6 duoverb(no character). I tried a PSA-1 and was not impressed one bit!

I've owned the older models and had tons of problems with the line level noise. I am happy to report they fixed the line level noise.

Reliability: 9
No problems. They did upgrade some things. I had two of these models at different times and they keep revamping as they go(thats a good thing). The first one I sent back because I was getting into rack gear, but missed the sound and got another one later on.

The differences I noticed now(3 months later) is that the gold pin-stripes around the amp are now flush with the exterior of the amp. It prevents the stripes from coming loose and rubbing off. I had this problem just from moving the amp on the previous models. Yes, it's just a cosmetic issue. I guess they read my comments from prior models I posted a review on. The corner pieces of the amp frame now have an extra set of metal corner. What I mean is they have the basic old model corner pieces, PLUS a metal piggy back corner piece on top of them for double the protection. I've never had any problems with this amp.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 9
The Tonelab preamp they just release to retails stores has software to tweak alot more stuff behind the scene. I've got one coming on the way. Download their software for the tonelab and you can check it out. You don't need it to install the software. The octave pedal now has 1 voice above,2 below control, etc..

Submitted by Jason at 10/23/2003 01:40

Price Paid: US $1100

Features: 10
Made in '03. I have tons of amps and this one pretty much does it all. Very impressive. More features than can be listed here. It is also extremely simplistic to use.

Sound Quality: 10
I play through several guitars. Guitar Factory EA models, Gibsons, Fenders, and an Ibeenhad. Sounds great with all of these guitars.

Reliability: 4
I was a bit disappointed because I'm on my second unit. The first one I got a couple of weeks ago. Special ordered it. There is some vibration inside the amp area of the cabinet that resonates a very irritating buzzing noise. Super apparent when you are playing clean, and just a hair loud and up. I tightened all of the screws and it is still there. So present that you would think you could reach out and apply pressure to the cabinet and make it go away. But you can't. So I had a second one ordered. Same exact problem. This one is worse. The salesmgr at the store I bought it from spoke with the VOX rep and showed him the problem using my old amp. He said they were unaware of this anomaly. Sounds like they didn't do a hell of alot of testing this new closed back design before they started shipping. Pisses me off. So, they are supposed to get back with me for a solution. Sitting here waiting. They better do me right. I can be a great customer, or I can cost them an awful lot of sales just be reporting what happens right here. I will follow up and let you all know how they accomodated me.

Customer Support: N/A
Waiting to see. Read above. I will get back to you on this. :)

Overall Rating: N/A
Will get back to y'all on this one.

Submitted by Jamie Carling at 10/08/2003 21:13

Price Paid: US $1199

Features: 9
This is the new AD120VTX Neodog Valvetronix 212 Combo. The added features are the stunning Celestion Century speakers and a completely closed plywood cabinet. The amp's weight is very reasonable with the new lighter Century speakers and the cabinet is top notch (feels and looks very very well made... no cheap feeling anywhere with this combo). Other added feature is an impedence selection switch for hooking up external cabinets. I won't go into everything this amp features but I am slightly disappointed that for a stereo amp all the delays options are mono. Lastly I'd like to comment I always felt that the rating for this category shouldn't be based on the number of features but of the features the product has, how satisfying are they. Because of the lack of stereo delays it gets a 9.

Sound Quality: 9
Like alot of people, I've gone through a ton of gear and I recently sold most everything I had to just pair down to one great amp and one great guitar. This is that great amp. I was going with the new Line6 HD147 head but was missing alot of the clean and medium distortion tones that amp doesn't have. I ended up swapping it out with a Line6 Flextone III XL 212 combo. It was versitle but lacked a satisfying high gain sound for me. Well, I decided to try the VOX AD120VT and the newer AD120VTX. As for comparison between the older model and the newer model, there is a very noticable improvement in tone. The Celestion Century speakers in the plywood 100 percent closed back cab sounded huge, deep and full. The older model sounded thin in comparison and less focused in my opinion. The extra $200 is way more than worth it. As for sounds this amp is everything I wanted (minus the stereo delays I mentioned). It really sounds and feels like a tube amp, no question about it. I found for high gain tones the US Modern setting with the Treble Boost 'pedal' setting provides a huge full and tight metal sound. The Treble Boost 'pedal' is the trick I've found. The High distortins can feel a little flubby but with the Treble Boost 'pedal' on it makes it super nice and tight. Another great thing is that the tone controls are very usable (unlike the Line6 where they don't really do a whole lot). The cleans are crystal clear and the medium overdrive sounds are terrific. The VOX also has a huge edge on the quality of effects over anything else I tried. The LIne6 compressor is really funky, I've never heard a compressor sound like theres. Not to sure what they were going for but it is strange. The VOX compressor is great (and quiet) sounds just like the way a compressor pedal sounds to me. I settled on a American Deluxe Fender Stratocaster as my one guitar and this amp sounds unbelivable with the guitar. I love the high and low inputs. I can go very where from a Heavy DIO sustain guitar sound to a spanky compressed country AC15 clean that never fails to put a smile on my face. Fantastic amp. I'm going to give it a 9 though because this amp does have a very low level hum/buzz when the power amp setting is on the 60 watt setting. If I put it to 30 watts I can't hear it unless I put my ear to the speakers. It is the only mole on an otherwise perfect experience. If you want one versitle awesome sounding amp this new Neodog Valvetronix 212 should definitely be considered. Made the line6 sound really bad in comparison.

Reliability: N/A
No opinion yet about the electronics. But, the cabinet construction is very impressive.

Customer Support: N/A
N/A

Overall Rating: 10
The best sounding most versitle amp I've ever owned. For those wondering about a comparison to the older model... The Celestion Century speakers with the plywood closed back cab made this amp noticable better sounding.

Submitted by Anonymous at 08/30/2003 06:12