Vox AD120VT Valvetronix 212 Combo

Price Paid: 950 (€)

Features: 10
the AD120VT is a modeling amp with 120 watt and two 12" celestion speaker!! if u want to play it at home, no problem. u can also use it with 2 watts (it has a headphone jack). and it sounds still great.
the effect loop includes everything u need! the tuner on board is a nice feature...
nothing is misssing

Sound Quality: 10
I actually play this amp with a squire strat. but i also played it with a gibson les paul or a fender telecaster. don't mind the guitar, it sounds great. there isn't one song u cant play with it.
my favourite mode is the "4x12 tweed". with the right gain... it sounds like the srv-version of "littel wing"!!!
overall: awesome!!!

Reliability: N/A
i've only played it at home ar with my band yet (no gigs).
so i don't know what happens if u claim more of it! i won't rate that!

Customer Support: N/A
i'd never had a problem and i bought it from a private shop...

Overall Rating: 10
I LOVE IT

Submitted by Schrott at 11/24/2003 15:11

Price Paid: 16.000 (SEK)

Features: 9
Bought the amp (AD120VT) back in spring 2002. I scanned all the music magazines at the time, simultaneously was visiting music shops testing all sorts of gear and in the end found out that for the money it was difficult to get more. I mean its in stereo, with 16 modelled amps, all the effects you could wish for and with a loud 120W etc. there is hardly more you need. However, that does not that it cannot be improved. If I could write my own Xmas wish list it would look something like this:

Place the WAH WAH pedal in a separate pre-amp effects bank. Do the same with the compresser. Last but not least I do use the headphones, and the sound could be better. I don't know if you could connect a really good speaker simulater in there. I think that every other manufacturer, with this type function, offers the same sound quality level. So I don't think that VOX are any better or worse than the others in tnis respect.

Thas it. Easy! Fixing the above would mean that you could run the dist. pedals + univbe etc. as well as the wah wah and compressor all at the same time. At the moment its either one or the other.

Sound Quality: 9
I play a real mixture of stuff depending on the mood I'm in. I've got two strats: an Am. series Texas Lone-Star strat and an Vintage Amercan Series '57. The AD120VT has got about every sound covered. From Hendrix to SRV, from Blackmore to Brian May to Marc Knopfler. There is lots of headroom, so that you can play whacky chicken picken country sounds to blasting heavy rock/metal. All at high volume. The AD120VT is like any other big amp, the louder you play it the better it sounds. However, if you are looking for a death metal type sound I think that you will have to look elsewhere.

Background noise wise I guess it depends on the guitar. When playing my Lone-Star the amp is pretty nosieless, however, when using my guitar with the vintage pick-ups - well what can you expect?

Reliability: 8
Bit of a mixed bag here. I have gigged with it, however, did experience the "cutting out" problem occasionally. This was annoying and in the end I took it back to the shop, where I bought it (Freddans, Gothenburg, Sweden). The VOX agent here in Sweden soon fixed it. There was a loose cable and since then its been great. So all in all despite the problem I can easily recommend it. You have to remember that it is a VOX (built with help of KORG). They are both established players on the market and as such would NOT deliver a "non-tested" product out onto the market. So I think the reliability is good. A problem is a problem. As long as it gets fixed then its ok. Its when, after the problem has been fixed, and the same problem keeps on coming back time after time, then its time to start talikng about reliability problems.

Customer Support: 9
Has been good

Overall Rating: 9
Would I buy it again - yeah why not! I have been playing for over twenty years and I know what I like. The AD120VT is a good, solidly built, nice sounding rock machine. I've even recommended it to others. So go and buy on and dare to be different.

Submitted by Robert Ritchie at 11/20/2003 02:51

Price Paid: US $600.00

Features: 9
I got my Vox AD 120 brand new in July 2003.I got a very good price on it,welbelow what they normally sell for-$600.00 cash,out the door!I don't think I could do any better for the money & get a brand new amp.
I've giged w/it only a few times & have had no real problems w/it so far.The one thing I've noticed is that occasionally when I turn it on & set the controlles a certain way,that(ocassionally) when I just touch one of the knobs w/out even turning it,the volum will decrease substantially-like a ground problem.Has anyone else had an experience like that?If so,what can be done about it?
Other than that,has anyone bought the new VC-12 foot controller yet & what do you think of it?I haven't tried it or the VC-4 but by the looks of the VC-12,I'm sure it is far superior to the VC-4.

Sound Quality: 9
Suits my styles fine.I like & plat everything from Jazz,fusion,rock,metal,funk,blues,etc.
I agree w/what all the positive reviews on this site have said,& other than the minor above problem I mentioned,this has been a trouble free amp!
I use a variety of guitars: 1965 Guild jazz gutar,fender,variuos acoustics.

Reliability: 9
Seems to be sturdy,& reliable so far.

Customer Support: N/A
N/A

Overall Rating: 9
I'd definately get another one if stolen.If the VC-12 works well playing w/the AD 120 should be an even more pleasurable experience!
Any info. on the VC-12 & the "grounding" issue I have would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,C

Submitted by Anonymous at 11/09/2003 11:15

Price Paid: US $1100

Features: 8
This amp is absolutely feature-rich. It is the reason I purchased it. The switchable output power makes is playable in a variety of venues. It's headphone output allows you to play it at home when everyone's sleeping as well. The only problem is the $200 foot controller only allows you to half of the settings at a time. You have to get on the amp to get the other half. The other problem I have is the design. When the amp is tilted back in an amp stand, It's impossible to see or change the settings without having to walk behind the amp. That makes it difficult at a gig.

Sound Quality: 9
Fantastic Sound at all power levels.

Reliability: 1
I just experienced my worst time that I've had with any device I've ever owned. I purchased the amp at Guitar Center on Dec. 29, 2002.
The amp worked great until June (approx 6 months). It would intermittently stop outputting sound -- all lights worked. I would move it around and it would work. It eventually went out in mid-July. The repair shop sent away for new internal boards. The one board I needed was back ordered. It had to come from England. I just received my amp from repair. July to October -- 3 MONTHS!!!!
The amp has layered boards and I don't think it's durable enough for gigs. I tried babying it, but it still gets slightly jostled --- a lot less than my laptop. I intend to sell it or use it only at home and purchase a gig-durable, AMERICAN amp.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 7
It's not a gig-durable amp in my opinion and parts availability is a big issue.

I would not purchase this for gigging.

Submitted by Ron at 10/16/2003 12:57

Price Paid: US $750

Features: 10
This is a follow-review now that I've had my Valvetronix for a few weeks and the 'honeymoon' has worn off. If you don't feel like reading much, then my bottom line is: this is the best ling amp on the market, period!

Features I'd have to give a 10 since all the features (stomp boxes, modulation, delays, reverbs, etc) work great. Sure, you could build a hundred of them into the amp, instead of a handfull, but at some point you reach oversaturation. The vox has just the right amount of effects available. The only complaint is that I'd like to be able to use the overdrives ALONG with the compressor, univibe, wah, etc.

Sound Quality: 9
OK folks --- here's how the ratings work on harmony central. Assuming there's a good number of scores to work with, (15 or more reviews that is) for a given product, then anything under an 8 is just crap. Anything over a 9 is fairly good, and a 9.5 or better is virtually perfect. This amp averages a 9.3 for the sounds (drawn from 108 reviews at ths time this was written), which is a very respectable score. That score is easily the best of all the other digital amps, and as good as many of the more famous valve amps rated on harmony central.

MAnd . . . there's a reason the amp scores so well. This amp is a fantastic value for the array of sounds you get, and for how close it comes to true tube sound and feel. I would give it a 9 and a half if we could use fractions, but gotta stick with whole numbers so I give it a 9.

This is a great amp in its own right -- never mind the digital preamp --- and it's easily the best ling amp you'll find.

Reliability: 3
no problems after a month.

Customer Support: N/A
unknown.

Overall Rating: 9
For a ling amp, I give it a full 10. Competing against $10,000 Dumbles, I have to be realistic and give it a 9.

Submitted by Russ at 09/01/2003 12:24

Price Paid: US $1000

Features: 10
This is a follow-up to my original review when this amp was first released - my review is probably way down at the bottom of the 100+ reviewers. I've now had the amp for almost 2 years - and yes I still like it every bit as much as I did when I bought it. I see that a number of folks are complaining about low-level hiss when the amp is just idling. Yes, mine has it as well BUT it's easy to get rid of any noise that the amp makes and here's my secret --- read the next section.

Sound Quality: 10
Go on Ebay and search for a DBX 117, 118 or 119 compressor/expander. It will cost about $40 or so. It's an old late 70s - early 80s piece of stereo gear. No one knows about them and hardly anyone wants them. But for noise reduction for guitar amps they are the bomb. Get one of these puppies, plug both stereo outputs of the preamp (if recording) or plug one in the efx in/out loop if playing out of the speakers. Set the mode switch to Linear, the threshold to about 11 o'clock, and the expansion knob to about 2-3 o'clock. Viola - NO NOISE, works great for recording directly into a PC as well. I kid you not, that's the secret - and because it downward expands the noise threshold, there is no difference in the tone or output, and it doesn't work like a noisegate and cut off the input signal. It just ducks the low level noise when you are not playing. When you are playing it doesn't effect the signal as it's over the threshold you've set. That's my solution and I'm sticking with it..... :?>

Reliability: 6
I replaced the original tubes with some old Mullard and Ampex tubes I had to increase the warmth and get rid of the brittleness of the cheap sovtek tubes.

Customer Support: 5
No issues, no problems.

Overall Rating: 10
Still the best amp I've owned in 35 years of playing - it's a keeper, I got rid of every other amp and efx I owned with one exception - the built-in spring reverb simulation is just so-so so I tried out dozens of spring reverbs and settled on an Orban 111B - best reverb I've ever heard in my life and it's dead bone quiet...... (no remote footswitch though and it has a wire strip on the back rather than 1/4" jacks as it's a studio piece). Vox Rocks!!!!

Submitted by Peter at 08/25/2003 06:44

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A

Sound Quality: N/A
Hello again. I forgot to mention I live in the USA and apparently all the UK people have no noise issues. So I'm assuming it's something to do with the electric differences. It is a UK designed amp after all. It does kind of sound like that may be the logical answer. I made this assumption a month ago and many of the UK people who emailed me back on the msg boards @ the website have had no problems. CASE CLOSED as far as I'm concerned. I'm waiting for the Tonelab preamp to see how that does since it's not powered by a transformer.

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Anonymous at 08/23/2003 17:17

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A

Sound Quality: N/A
Quote and response: "For you "hiss/hum" guys Is the problem there even if nothing is plugged to the amp?(like on mine)"

Yes.

another users quote and response:
"i've never had any problem with excess buzzing and have never heard one with this problem. that sounds like it would be a bad tube or loose or dirty socket though."

CAN YOU people READ? We've already discussed this and for the record I tried that, the noise suppressor, the high and low input, HEAD+cab version, combo version, different outlets. Don't tell me its a stupid tube. It's funny I had 3 of them and they all DID it! It's not a cheap crappy import guitar I am using either! Sheesh!

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Anonymous at 08/23/2003 17:10

Price Paid: US $1000

Features: 10
This is an update to my earlier review - I've now had my Valvetronix for a year, in which time I've rehearsed with it 2-3 times a week at high volume (on the 30w setting). Everyone knows the features - for the cash its unbeatable.

Sound Quality: 9
Again - for the price - this amp is capable of conjuring some amazing sounds. If you listen to the modelled amps "dry" the tone of this amp is pretty amazing. Some of the effects are better than others - the univibe is very cool, not as good as the original but the original will cost you $300 on its own. Modulation effects are pretty good in general.

Some have complained that you can't use the wah and distortion at the same time - well you can't use wah and one of the distorion effects but if you use the recto model (or one of the other high gain models) and crank up the gain and volume, there you have it.

The delay is a pain for me due to the tap control - I'd prefer to set it to a number (eg 100 ms) to get what I want rather than tap my finger indescriminately on a button until I hear what I want.

Reliability: 10
It has been *very* reliable for me. I have used it without backup and will continue to do so. I play this thing cranked at the 30W setting, although I've never had to use it on full power, several times a week in rehearsal and every now and then on stage without problem. Only problem I've had was with the foot controller (see below).

Customer Support: 10
I had an issue with the foot controller - it kept displaying "8" on the LED and would not work without switching the amp on and off and jiggling things around a bit. I called customer support and they sent me a brand new replacement no questions asked within a week. Great service!

Overall Rating: 10
This is a great amp - everything you could want for the price. With the VC12 foot controller this will make it even better - the VC4 is servicable but too small and the expression pedal almost unusable with my size 9 feet. This is a very versatile amp and I've had nothing but compliments from everyone who's heard it.

Submitted by Anonymous at 08/15/2003 11:39

Price Paid: 829 including foot board (pounds sterling)

Features: 9
I think the features have been well documented in previous postings.

Sound Quality: 10
I play a '78 hardtail strat and a Gibson LP classic gold top and play in a function band so I need many sounds to cover the range of material played. Both the Fender and Gibbo sound great through the amp and have had no problems whatsoever with hiss or hum (I live in the UK). Is this problem only confined to the U.S. market 'cos I've heard a number or other VOX's here in the U.K. and have never heard any unwanted hiss or hum. For those of you who say "its a pity I can't get to all 32 presets via the foot controller" jeeze, how many sounds do you want in a gig situation?? You've always got the mode whereby you can select a preset and then hit the "top" button on the controller to bring on the "manual" buttons for effect, modulation, delay & reverb. I've had to tweek virtually all the presets to make them "my sound" but all are usuable out of the box, okay some are a bit chessy but hey, everyone to his/her own.
I've found that by plugging in the Les Paul into the "low" input and Fender into the "hi" input is the best setup but if you mistakingly plug the LP into the "hi" input, it gets very dirty very quick!
Overall, great sounds are achievable even at high volumes, not thin and wimpy like some other modelling amps I've tried or heard.

Reliability: 10
As I've mentioned before, I've had my amp for approx 9 months and rehearse once a week with the guys and play atleast two or three times at home with it on 1 watt (great idea and so "wifey friendly")with no problems. So far so good..........

Customer Support: N/A
Bought it brand new from my local geetar shop with 1 year warranty. Not had to use it yet!!

Overall Rating: 10
THis amp was bought over a Marshall TSL/DSL. I tried several marshall combos and was about to embark on buying a TSL212 but the man in the shop said "Tried one of these before?" "No" said I. The rest, as they say is history. I was blown away with the ADVT's sound especially as I did an A/B with the marshall and Vox side by side. If you want versatility, power and tone........GET ONE NOW and do away with all those pedals and leads (I used to use BOSS gear but that has all been put to one side now)

Submitted by Mr Goldtop at 08/14/2003 04:47