Vox AD120VT Valvetronix 212 Combo

Price Paid: US $1000

Features: 9
i bought this amp about 2 years ago, its great, ok.. if you want a mesa boogie, a marshal stack, or a soldano... save your money and buy one... BUT, you can get some increadiable tones out of this amp, just probably not near par w/ the high gain amps, one of the major things i LOVE about this amp is the added features, such as the effects, and tap delay feature, I play in an improv rock band and there are so many great things at your fingertips to experiment with, the amp is great,, DONT EVEN CONSIDER COMPAIRING IT TO LINE 6... i really the measlly 2 tubes (12ax7s) they put in the valvetronix makes a huge difference, especially at high volumes, sure you can crank the volume knob on any of the models, but the reall greatness comes from cranking both volume and master volume knobs,

Sound Quality: 9
DONT EVEN CONSIDER COMPAIRING IT TO LINE 6... i really think the measely 2 tubes (12ax7s) they put in the valvetronix makes a huge difference, especially at high volumes, sure you can crank the volume knob on any of the models, but the reall greatness comes from cranking both volume and master volume knobs, i play my PRS hollowbody spruce top through this amp, ... the stompboxes are above average, the only pedal i was hoping to be a little more realistic was the fuzz pedal, the octave on there is really good too, to get a really great blues tone however i use (i think) a fender clean tone, and my maxxon OD808 which is the best overdrive pedal i have ever played,

Reliability: 4
ok, this is my main reason for writing this review,... let me just preface this with,, i love this amp, but, recently (2 years old) i have been having some problems, my first step was to come to harmony-central and check if others were having the same problems and to see if they had any quick-fixes.. i noticed some serious trends,, almost everyone that had a problem stated that thier amp was 2 years old. and that they were experiencing volume issues (cutting in and out for several seconds, or volume depression and crackling), and many also said that at high volumes the pedal board would go haywire.. i experienced both of these problems, both are very serious, at high volumes, the pedal board (with all its increadable features) would become useless. (it apears that the amp is being restarted over and over on the board(lights flashing and reseting)) at first i thought i screwed the amp over long ago by running a small practice amp (from its output) into one of the speaker effects return loop. it sounded great at the moment, but then i decided to stop using the 2nd amp.. after repeated use w/ the little amp plugged into the back, i tried it just by itself and thats when i noticed the cutting in and out, I KNOW A CURE if you get a couple short cables, plug them into the effects send and return in the back, THIS WILL SOLVE VOLUME CUTTING PROBLEMS ( at least it does for me) my main problem with the amp is the pedal board screwing up... i read on one review that if you reset the amp to the factory settings, the problem is resolve,,, i have not tried this yet, but in a few minutes i will, (hopefully i wont need to take this amp into a shop for a minute proplem) and on a lesser note, there is some noticable crackle intermitantly on the clean channel, its bad enough that i wont record strait from the amp. ( i run an output into a PA system.) i think it might be the power tubes ready for a change out, but im still not sure.... buyer beware...

Customer Support: N/A
havent dealt with vox yet, but probably soon will...

Overall Rating: 9
for the 2 troublefree years i had it, its increadable,,, at least check it out, and i recomend spending the time to find a tone you like ,, then crank it,, if you are at all worried that it might not sound enough like a tube amp, you need to play it at high volume...

Submitted by Tyler at 09/26/2004 19:49

Price Paid: 720 € (Euro)

Features: 8
This amp has a lot of features, some sound good, some are less.I have an old '67 SF Super reverb and the 4 X 10 of the Vox misses basses and medium

Sound Quality: 8
My son and I use an AFFINITY strat, An SA 160 Ibanez, A Les Paul copy with Humbuckers, a recent standard Strat (2001), A japanese strat from the " E " series, a Washburn J6 full hollow body and last but not least, a 1962 Gibson SG with 2 P 90 Single coils. Make sure to use the right input in order to avoid undesired distorsion.
As I'm a Shadows fan, you can imagine what type of amp I tried first: AC30 TB. However the sound is very close to the original, I heard a "HUM " in the left channel, put all knobs to ZERO, and the HUM was still there. Only two positions had no HUM: 4X10 and 2 X 12 from Fender. All the other amps positions have it more or even more. I the disconnected the input cable and it remained the same. How can this amp give a clean sound with a HUM on top!!!!!!!!!
My son loves heavy Marshall sounds and there maybe hum is irrelevant.
I then put a scope on both channels with a 4 ohm load in serie , and saw on the screen that the channel with the HUM only gave half of the voltage (quart of the power)compared to the right channel.

So we brought it back to the store

Reliability: 1
Can't say, we had it only for one week.

Customer Support: 1
As it was brain new, and brought back to the store, it took about 4 weeks to reach the Dutch importer. I then contacted them directly to know what about, and only got vague answers even after (total) 10 weeks..................I called the shop to hear they had another one and were willing to give us this one. We switched it on and surprise................ exactely the same hum on the same positions.
In this shop the warranty was only for one year, however, in Europe it HAS TO BE MINIMUM 2 YEARS. The shop owner has been clever enough to give us the money back. Chapeau!!!!!!!!!!

The same day we went to the music shop in Brussels we were used to go where a Vavetronix was ther for sale, a little bit more expensive, but you know , when you want a certain type of amp don't give up.
We switched that one on and surprise................. exactely the same thing. So we left the shop without an amp.
We tried 2 other ones in a third sohp near Ghent and surprise..........exactely the same thing. we turned 180° in that shop and saw a Line 6 Flextone 3 XL, switched it on and big surprise....No HUM NO HISS even with pots almost fully open, in all positions of the 32 modelled amps!!! We took that one

Overall Rating: 5
I play since 1960 and my son since 5 years. I wanted to make him a present for his 18 years ans as VOX still is a dream (The AC 30 of course, not this one) I own a 1964 Dynacord Bassking, with delicious tone and a 1970 Faylon Studio 100, only full valves amps and believe me they have less "HUM" than the Valvetronix, even so old they are.
Finally the AC 30 look is the greatest feature of this amp. The Line 6 looks an AC30 too. Let the Korg engineers go back to the blackboard and get rid of the "HUM" like other companies can do. All candidate buyers in Europe should do this very simple test as described above and maybe you'll find a good one . We tried 5 an all five had the same HUM on the same positions. Oh by the way, I'm an engineer in electronics

Submitted by math at 08/01/2004 08:56

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 1
great the sound but....

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: 1
IT VERY VERY VERY BAD...we put all at "0" and there is a big sound like wind ..." storm at sea" and We test 3 and the 3 NEW had this problem.... i would like to put "0" but there isn't...
I recommand the Line6 flextone III XL it is the same, good price, and 32 amps in one, 150w with celestion, amps the desing is practically the same...

Customer Support: 1
IT WAS VERY BAD...6 weeks for found NOTHING...a new was sent and it was the same problem...the repairer should rather sell chestnuts... it is incredible

Overall Rating: 5
"0" for the problem and the customers support, but 10 for the sound (I can say its in spite of to have bought it in April, but 2 weeks after back to the shop and we are in July and I have just had it return, but I was done refunded...)

Submitted by Anonymous at 07/17/2004 08:12

Price Paid: US $699

Features: 10
2002 Combo 2x12...Really dig the variable output settings.

Sound Quality: 9
I have the amp set up with the vc-12 floorboard. Bank 1 is Fender Clean, Fender Clean Chorus, Fender Grind Flange, Fender Overdrive/ Wah. Bank 2 is Vox Clean, Vox Clean Chorus, etc...Bank 3 Marshall, Bank 4 Mesa. I can usually make anything in my style work with these settings. Plenty of room for tweakability.

Reliability: 10
2 years, almost daily use...no problems. Period.

Customer Support: N/A
not needed

Overall Rating: 10
I always feel the pull of tube amps (sold off my AC15's after 6 months with this amp). This amp is keeping my money in my bank account due to the onboard effects alone. (i.e the search for the perfect overdrive...fulldrive, hot cake, klon etc...chorus, wah etc.) Are they all perfect...no. Tweakable and usable for most listeners...certainly.

Submitted by Reynman at 06/21/2004 20:07

Price Paid: US $1100 included pedal controller

Features: 10
I bought my Valvetronix 2x12 about 18 months ago. Features are well-reviewed here and elsewhere so I won't repeat. I'm an ageing rocker-geek (50-ish) playing classic rock & blues w a bunch of other 50+ year-old road warriors. I have been playing since age 12 but mostly acoustic until about 10 years ago.

Feature-wise this amp is loaded. THat's one of the rasons I have quit gigging with mine. I spent hours tweaking patches for each song. I had probably 12-13 patches that I would use during a show. Big excel spreadsheet with song, key, lead singer, and bank-patch. 18 point font so I wouldn't have to fumble around for reading glasses. Last new years eve the keyboard player decides the list is way off from the crowd & starts calling audibles. Guess I'm not that much of a geek. I'm thumping around trying to find the blusey-with-chorus patch thinking I wish I had my Mesa studio 22 with a chorus pedal & I'd be set. You get the picture.

Sound Quality: 8
I use a PRS custom 22 & a Les Paul Custom tuned in open G for slide. Both guitars sound great through this amp. Also spent some time in the studio making a demo. The direct outs sounded great straight in to the board. For some reason there was a little 60Hz but a DI box with ground lift eliminated that.

Now the down side--The other reason I have taken this amp out of gig rotation however is an issue with output. With a clean patch this amp is louder than the rest of the band and then some. THe high gain patches however have an unusual behavior in that they seem to disappear when the band gets loud. THey simply don't cut through the mix. I run direct or mic'ed in to the board & get out front with a wireless but the sound just disappears in to the mix. Everybody quits playing & the amp is turned up so loud you can (now) hear it across town. I read something about "comb filtering" effect with modeling amps. Maybe. Last couple of gigs I went back to my ancient Mesa studio22. 25 watts but way louder than the vox. Especially on the gain setting which now slices through like a scalpel. So I'll be back with tubes. Probably a recto-verb or Mark IV.

I will miss the acoustic simulator (awesome), the auto-wah, the tremolo. I will not miss fumbling around for a patch on stage. I like the big boss stomp boxes (for chorus step on blue & so on).

BTW I always felt like the pedal board worked well live. The tuner is very sensitive. Who needs more than 16 patches at once?

Reliability: 8
I never had any trouble with this amp although the reviews here have certainly made me cautious. My amp is over a year old & has nary a nick or scratch. I have used it in bars but we tend to get a lot of private gigs that are easier on equipment IMHO. It is one heavy *&%$ and the extra handles are truely welcome. 8 just for being nervous.

Customer Support: N/A
No experience. I think my local GC would go to bat for me considering the $$ I have dropped there last few years.

Overall Rating: 8
I have played since 12 & intend to do so until they pry my guitar from my cold dead hands. I am very lucky to have fallen in with a bunch of players that are as good or better than I.

I will probably hang on to this amp unless a friend or relative wants it then let them borrow it indefinitely. Can't imagine selling it for the $550 that they're getting on Ebay. OTOH, I will only gig with it in emergency situations. If it dies I will part it out. If it's stolen I'll check the local emergency rooms for guys with hernias & blown out discs.

Submitted by David at 05/03/2004 20:37

Price Paid: 499 (UKP)

Features: 10
Bought new Jan 2004. Features are great for the price. Had it 3 months now and still learning some new sounds. Effects: I love the Treble boost and Tube OD. Plus Chorus is great (seems to be the only effect that is stereo --- am I wrong -- please email me if so bartlettpsj@hotmail.com?)

Sound Quality: 10
The Vox and Marshall AMPs are excellent. I really really love the Fender Tweed 1 x 12. I personally don't like the Dumble sounds -- they're just too different for me (personal taste and I'll probbaly get into them one day). I have a MESA MKIII and it doesn't compare to this for it's RECTO sound (the Soldano is better).

Reliability: 10
I haven't really moved it. I'm 40 now, so gigging days are past me (a little tear!). It hasn't broke yet. I've seen the scare posts so far. I hope my 2003/4 model is better.

Customer Support: N/A
Didnt need any.

Overall Rating: 10
I just hope, if I ever gig again that it has the balls for live work. It sounds great in the home studio, but I have this feeling when wound up it won't be so great. Lets be optimistic and give it a 10 as it really is a wonderful beast and one of the best amps I have owned (and for £499 --- wow)

Submitted by Paul Bartlett at 04/24/2004 11:47

Price Paid: US $1,000

Features: 9
This amp was purchased in late 2002. I won't go into features here as they have already been covered well enough. Just about every feature you could want is on this amp.

Sound Quality: 9
I use a Strat with a neck and middle Vintage Noiseless pickups (Eric Clapton models) and a Hot Noiseless bridge pickup (Jeff Beck model). The amp is little noisy even with theses pickups. The sounds are quite good compared to other modeling amps. The best thing about a solid state amp (this one in particular) is that you can get a good distorted sound at a low volume. Unlike a tube amp where you really have to crank it up to get it to sound its best. Not a real lot of volume on clean settings but plenty loud on high gain settings.

Reliability: 2
Here is where this amp takes a dive into the toilet. I don't use it that much and only play it at home. A month ago a friend borrowed it to use in the studio. We plugged it in and NOTHING! I took it home and read through all the reviews and came upon one that said he had the same problem and VOX/Korg told him to plug a jack in and out of the headphone jack a few times. That worked TEMPORARILY! Now it cuts out and then a half minute later it cuts back in. What a piece of shit. No repair centers near me at all and of course the warranty is only a year and its 18 months old.

Customer Support: 1
What can I do. The warranty is expired. Its a pathetic one at that. One lousy year. Why bother calling them. Read all the other interviews. Their reputation precedes them.

Overall Rating: 2
I am going to sell this piece of shit. I will go back to buying a less complicated amp and buy a few pedals. They finally made one that sounds good but that means nothing if it doesn't work.

Submitted by Mitch at 04/15/2004 10:29

Price Paid: GBP (600)

Features: 10
The range of features is superb. With the different amp models and effects available, the possibilities are almost limitless.

Sound Quality: 6
This amp does not sound like a valve amp. Period. It sounds wonderful at low volume but turn it up loud and it lacks all the warmth and richness of a valve amplifier. I used single coils and humbuckers. The tonal response is just not the same as a valve amp, not matter what the sales blurb says. Whatever amp model you use, it always sounds thin like a tranny amp. Because that is what it is. This is not to say that it sounds bad. Far from it. But if you expect this to sound like a real AC30 or a Marshall JTM or JCM at full volume, you are going to be disappointed.

Reliability: 8
I had mine for nearly a year. It was never gigged and only kept as a spare. I never had any problems except for the rubber feet coming off the bottom. In general I would add that the build quality is not that great. From a distance it looks like a very solid amp but look close up and the finish leaves a lot to be desired. I reckon it would get chipped, dented and ripped very quickly if you had to move it a lot without a flight case.

Customer Support: N/A
Never had to deal with customer support

Overall Rating: 7
As a versatile tranny amp it is great. But as an alternative to a valve amp it is not. I have given it 5 because I bought it with the expectation that I could get the same sound and response I get from my Marshall. In this respect I was disappointed. But, in fairness to Vox, this is still a good product - it just does not give me the sound I want. Taking aside the valve issue, I would still say that this amp is a jack of all trades and a master of none. But this is probably great for many people.

Submitted by Tim Gale at 04/07/2004 08:45

Price Paid: US $450.00 used

Features: 8
Tons of features, options beyond most needs...I won't bore you with details as you know the features of this amp by now. It gets an 8 here simply for features.

Sound Quality: 6
Pretty good, but still not quite there. A good basic modeling amp sound, a bit better than the Line 6, but not enough to blow my mind. It's a bit above average...6 here.

Reliability: N/A
Don't know....took it back after a couple of weeks. From what I have read below, some major issues here though. Check out other reviewers comments.

Customer Support: N/A
Never contacted them.

Overall Rating: 3
Just didn't cut the mustard for me. I've tried them all. Surprisingly, I settled on the Korg Ampworks, a cheap little $149 deal with the same "REMS" technology (Korg owns Vox you know), and actually, the Ampworks offered much better presence, clarity, and realism without all the garbage and WEIGHT of the Valvetronix amp. 1 pound versus 80 pounds....no brainer. I really bought this amp as an all-in-one package, but found I have better results with a good tube amp and some pedals. For recording, the Korg Ampworks smokes this amp, and won't bust your wallet.

Submitted by David at 03/04/2004 07:44

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: 3
Just a quick answer to the people who had bad experiences with the reliability of this amp - thanks for submitting your comment. I have owned this amp for 3 months now, and I have already experienced problems. The output between the speakers is unbalanced. The left one falls out. Also, the loudness of the amp is weird. It's basically not loud at all (maybe only due to the failing left speaker, but I doubt it), and I remember trying to adjust the high notes, and all of a sudden there was an increase in loudness. I will definitely go back to the shop, and I'm puzzled if I should have it repaired or leave it alone completely. This unreliability totally freaks me out.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Sanne te Meerman at 02/27/2004 09:21