Vox AD50VT 112 Combo

Price Paid: £194 (English)

Features: 9
I have only being playin guitar for a year but il try my best in this review.
The vox ad50vt features about 10 amp offerings, which include ac30 which is a very popular tube amp also by Vox. There is a main volume control, gain, treble, middle and bass and a master volume. Gain, middle and treble aswell as the volume itself control the volume which is quite inconvinient because that restricts the volume at times.There are 11 built in effects all of which are very good, especially the flanger and delay. The level of these effects is controlled by a knob (which is very gud for fine adjusting) and a tap button. My favourite feature is the wattage gate on the back, u can adjust the output wattage so u can practice at home on 25 watts and gig/jam at 50, very handy!

Sound Quality: 9
I play with a cheap aria strat but even so i can still get a very nice sound. The clean drive is extremely nice and very versitile thanks to the amp offerings and a responsive bass control. The overdrive isn't so versitile, it hardly respondes with the treble at all so if ur looking for sharp slash like overdrive u cant get it on this amp, but it still sounds very gud and that problem can be solved with additional fx. Also this problem is only really bad with the metal drive so don't be put off! This amp is well worth getting for its features and its awesome clean drive.

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 9
Overall i love this amp! It has an amazing versitile clean tone, great blues tone and great features. The only thing i think should be changed is how the treble, middle and gain effect volume. Also this amp is very loud dispite what the other reviews say, And it handles the high volumes very well. Buy it!! It's well worth the money...

Submitted by rodz57 at 12/09/2005 13:01

Price Paid: US $350

Features: 9
I have a 2005 version with fan. All the features are listed in previous reviews.

Sound Quality: 9
I definitely had to read the manual to understand where I was starting from, but then it seemed to click in and really be user friendly. I have played single coil (Jackson Soloist w/EMG's), double coil (Schecter w/Duncan humbuckers), and piezo pickups through this thing and even the piezo sounds good. That never happens. It's amazing the subtlety of tones I can get and particularly so with single coils which sound really thin through just about anything else. I'm old school. I want the guitar to blow through the band when necessary. Those glassy Andy Summers tones don't work well for me unless there's some meat behind them. This amp can make it happen.

Reliability: 4
This is where it gets a bit sticky. I have a lean back cart on which I have loaded many amps. Just rolling it across a parking lot has loosened the large screws holding the chassis to the cabinet. I have had to tighten them on a couple of occasions when I heard rattling. The metal grill is great, but it's tougher than the cheap cabinet. I have used this amp sparingly over the past six months and the vinyl is bubbling up off the wood underneath. I also have some pretty large tears in the vinyl on the sides, and the cabinet is slowly crushing where the amp leans against my cart when rolling into a gig. Very nasty wood used. I would accept a few extra pounds to have a more solid cabinet. It kind of feels like a toy. PLease note that these comments are only in regard to the cabinet and not to the electronics which are stellar.

Customer Support: 8
Never contacted them, but I am interested in their response when I do contact them about the cheap cabinetry.

Overall Rating: 9
Love the amp. Someone wrote that you can only store two pre-sets. I beg to differ. You have the option of programming one of the two foot switches to effects on and off or to switch to manual mode. I programmed to the latter. I have pre-set one set to clean. When I kick the number one switch I have it set to go into overdrive. Switch number two, which I have prgrammed to manual mode, I have set with the same sound I have on the clean setting, but adding chorus. Works for me. You can set the three sounds to be anything you like, but you have to remember to program your footswitch accordingly to be able to do this.

Submitted by Mark at 11/29/2005 16:11

Price Paid: US $350.00

Features: 10
You all know the features. 2 channels, 11 amp models, I have the 2005 model.

Sound Quality: 10
I play a 1975 Fender Strat and a 2005 PRS Custom 22. My music styles are classic rock, pop, and blues. This amp has plenty of power although, I don't gig so I can't judge how much volume you could crank in a large hall. I own a Marshall TSL 122 all tube combo and a Line 6 flextone 2 modelling amp. The Vox sounds almost as good as my tube Marshall. It really blows away the line 6. The tone of the Vox is very warm and tube like on both clean and distorted settings. If I were to gig, I would take the Vox with me. The presets on the vox are just so so and need tweeking. The best part of this amp is the variable power output. Max output is 50 watts, and there is a knob on the back that controls the wattage output. This means you can turn up the master volume all the way, and cut down the volume using the wattage output knob. The result is great tone at low volume.

Reliability: N/A
Here is the great unknown. I have read reviews by those who have had trouble. There are stories of the input jack falling into the cabinet, and noisy fans inside, and the thing just dying. Some complain of not being able to get anyone over at Vox on the phone. Before my purchase, I called vox (distributed by Korg) at US Customer Service(631) 390-6500 US Product Support (631) 390-8737. After just a few minutes on hold, I got a Vox tech on the phone and expressed my fears. He had heard of these problems also but assured me that they get very few of them in for repair. I bought from a very reliable local shop just in case. To set the record straight, the first run of the Ad50vts did not have a cooling fan but had a heat sink. After that they built the amps with a computer type fan inside for cooling. This info was given to me by the Vox tech. I play in a very quiet room in my home and cannot hear any noise at all from the fan. My local music store also tells me they get very few Vox amps in for repair. Time will tell, but I would suggest buying from a very reputable music store that stands behind their products just in case problems arise. I have had mine for four months without a glitch.

Customer Support: N/A
Again, I never needed a repair. I did speak to customer support US Product Support (631) 390-8737. The product is distributed by korg and you can get them on the phone for help with Vox products http://www.korg.com/service/contactus.asp.

Overall Rating: 10
Been playing for 30 years rock, pop, blues. This amp is light, versatile, and loud. The best feature is the variable wattage output allowing you to crank the gain and master to full, and cut back the volume with the output wattage dial. This allows you to drive the amp hard at low volumes and still maintain great tone without making your ears bleed. The amp has a very rich warm tone almost (very very close) to that of my tube amp (but at half the weight). I liked the sound and features better than the Line 6 stuff and better than the Roland Cube. Too bad they only give you two programmable channels. I was afraid to buy this thing at first due to the reliablilty issue, but once I saw I could get vox on the phone I took the plunge. The sound is really better than any other non tube amp I have played on.

Submitted by Jay at 11/07/2005 18:33

Price Paid: US $287.00

Features: 10
Made in 2005. See the VoxUK site for all the bells and whistles.
My reviews for good or not always take in account the price of the piece and what the manufacturer claims it will do. So with that in mind, this little box is very versatile and (AFTER READING THE MANUAL, TRY IT SOME TIME) easy to dial in. I paid $287.00 delivered to my door. It was a MF scratch and dent. Could not find the scratch or dent.

Sound Quality: 10
This is the first non tube amp I have ever bought. I was definitely a tube snob. But after reading the reviews on this site by people that had tried the other modeling amps but also knew tube amps I decided to try the AD50-VT.
I use a '77 Strat, Historic ' 59 Les Paul and a Texas Tele. Mostly the Strat. Play Rock and Blues. My 2 pre-sets started with the Bassman and 70 Marshall settings. I am very impresssed with the clean
and the overdrive you can dial in. I have a '75 Twin Reverb and this amp gets extremely close.
I also have a Reisssue Bluesbreaker and I like the sound of the Vox better. The BB is now for sale. I did disconnect the fan, If I play out in a warm place I reconnect it. I traded the tube for a NOS <> Telefunken ECC83. I removed the BBQ grill. I think both of the mods helped a little bit. No doubt commetically! The amp is absolutely quiet with the settings I use. I have had Deluxe Reverb's, Vox Ac 30's, AC 15 reissue, Bassmans, JTM 45's, and at least 30 other amps familiar to all. Besides a '68 Vibro Champ I bought years ago for $100 this is by far the least expensive amp I have ever bought. I tried hard not to like it because it was so inexpensive and has only one tube. But because it does the Deluxe Reverb, The Vox, The Twin and the Marshall so well I just smile every time I crank it up. Like the 2nd James Gang album and the manual says, this amp was made loud to be played loud. Turn it up. Just remember, the amp models are just primary colors. Use them anyway you like to shape your OWN sound. I have several stomp boxes that cost more than this amp and so far only use the COT and a Fender Reverb occasionally. Using the Vox's gain control and the Strat's volume knob mostly I am just plugged straight in. Also has a good Celestion speaker but you can go into a cab for even more variety. For the $287.00 it's a 10.

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 10
I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and remember it, so I am old. Been playing a long time. I have a silver face twin, 58 bassman, reissue bluesbreaker, 68 vibro champ, reissue twin reverb. I am in the procees of downsizing and was looking for something that was not a one trick pony, inexpensive, light and could also be played by my 14 year old son when he plays out with his friends. (he now wants his own!) The fact that it sound so good was a very unexpected bonus. I keep thinking, the whole amp cost almost $100.00 less than my Klon pedal!

Submitted by steve at 11/07/2005 07:17

Price Paid: US $350

Features: 10
The features of this amp are listed here and all over the net, so I won't go into detail. 50 watts, 11 amp models, a few effects, all going thru a 12 inch speaker. Enough versatility for most musicians. It has plenty of power for the types of gigs I do. When it's not loud enough, I mic it. I do wish the extension speaker out didn't mute the internal speaker, though.

Sound Quality: 9
I use this amp with a couple Tele's and a Strat, all single coils, and mostly stock. I spend about 90% of the time in the AC30TB preset. I guess it makes sense that Vox would model a Vox the best, and they certainly have. It has the tonal character and chime that you'd expect from an AC30, but it's more versatile due to the addition of midrange and master volume controls. I start in the preset mode, then crank the gain and treble just a little bit. This gives me a great Brad Paisley-like tone when using a Tele. This may not be a Dr. Z, but with a little tweaking, I can get a pretty good approximation of most of Brad's sounds. Try the afore-mentioned settings and run thru "The Nervous Breakdown" to see how close it really is. The effects sound pretty good, but the only ones I use consistently are the delay and reverb. I run a Keeley-modified Ibanez TS-9, a Boss BD-2 and a DD-2 ahead of this amp, so using the 2 channels and bypass mode, I'm able to get a variety of drive and delay settings with minimal gadgets. Very cool.
As some other reviewers have noted, this amp does lack in bass response. This was especially noticable for me after playing thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, which is well-known for its bassy tone. This hasn't been a real problem for me, as a huge bass sound isn't really necessary for the sounds I like, but I do occasionally run this amp in tandem with the HRD to fill out the bottom end.

Reliability: 10
I bought the display model at a local guitar store, and haven't had a ny problems with it. I read some statistic that said if electronics are going to die (while still under warranty, anyway) it will be in the really early stages. This amp had lived a few months on the salesfloor of the Pickin' Palace, so it was broken-in pretty well for me. Haven't had any problems at all since I bought it 4 months ago.

Customer Support: N/A
Haven't dealt with VOX, but I'm good friends with the owner of the shop where I bought it, so I'm sure they'll take care of me

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing almost 10 years, and as I said I also own a Hot Rod Deluxe I've had for about 6 years. I own a few Tele's and Strats, as well as an Epiphone "Lucille" and some acoustics. This amp has allowed me to get the tones I wanted at a dirt-cheap price, and I'm very happy with it. I'd definitely buy another if it were stolen. Actually I think I'd buy the 100 watter with 2 12's. Maybe it has a bigger bottom than it's little older brother. This one will do til I can afford a Dr. Z or BadCat.

Submitted by Adam Brister at 09/21/2005 16:18

Price Paid: US $350

Features: 8
This is 2005 Vox AD50VT. It has 2 channels that are easy to set up with multi effects and it uses a simple footswitch to change channels. It has a "power soak" type control on the back to attenuate the power. It has reverb, delays, flanging, chorusing, compressor, auto wah, (not the best effect but sometimes fun) but only one effect can be selected. The good news is there are multi effects as a selection. For instance delay and compression or reverb and chorus etc. Of course it has amp modeling but there are less choices that the big brother Vox Valvetronics series. It has an output for an external speaker but it kills the internal one when pluged in. I use this amp for recording, parties, clubs, concerts and practice. Because of it's flexible tone and volume structure and it's power it's able to cover a lot of ground. On the down side the amp is ugly. I love the look of Vox amps with the "X" stitched grill cloth and the gold trim. This amp is not like that. It has an ugly chrome metal grill that put me off so much that I almost did not buy it. It looks so gaudy I had to paint the metal grill black. I hate to do stuff like that but I could not look at it without gagging!

Sound Quality: 10
I use a Fender American Strat most of the time but also a Epi Les Paul and a Ibanez 335 copy. I can't say enough about the sounds in the little amp. I've had it now for about 6 months and I can't find anything that sounds better for any price. I mostly use the Fender Black Face with a little verb for clean and the UK 80's with compression for crank. I love the Vox AC30 sound but for live I don't really use it that much. When I record it's great to be able to have such a wide pallet of amp models to choose from. You can sonically experiment and find great combinations. It records great and you can even take the rear output for direct but I do perfer micing the speaker. I do use the direct for recording bass with the Bassman sound but I also mic that too. Lately I have been using a Hartkey 4-12 bottom with this amp as a head. This makes it sound even better. The internal speaker is 8 ohms so I imagine it is matched for 8 ohm output but my cab in mono is either 16 or 4 ohms. I run the cab at 4 ohms and man! What a Sound! The AD50VT is a 50 watt amp but this thing must be producing close to 100 at 4 ohms. I can get a clean sound as loud as I want and the crank can be deadly. The Hartkey 4-12 celestion loaded cab is a good combination because it is rather neutral sounding so it reproduces the amp models without coloring or added a different speaker character. I have A-B'ed this amp with the big brother Vox Valvetronic Combo and 120 watt head and the AD50VT sounds better. It does not have as many amp models, effects and features as the VXT series has but the a clearer, more defined, and believe or not it is louder than the 120 watt. I have also A-B'ed side by side with the new Vox AC30CC which is a great amp. The AD50VT is louder, cleaner, ballsier, and more virsatile with all the differenct amp models. The distortion is just as good as the real tube amps and the clean sound is crystal. I have also compared it side by side with my vintage Fender Twin and Bassman. Again the AD50VT stands up to the test and to my ears sounds even better on the "Black Face" setting than my Fender Black face! I know your getting tired of hearing all this but I am really convinced this amp could be the only thing I need. It out Voxes the real Vox, out Fenders the Fenders, and out Marshalls the Marshalls. On top of that is gets a great Boogie and Boutique sound. The channel programing could not be easier and unlike the big brother Voxes you don't need to spend $250 for a foot pedal. Granted, it's a much simpler set up and you only have 2 channels and for some that is not going to cut it. But for me 2 channels works fine.

Reliability: 9
So far I have had no problems in the 6 months I have had my amp. I play every day for at least 4 hours and play out at least 2 times a week at clubs, bars, etc.
The other guitarist in my band went out and bought the same amp after he heard mine.
The only problem he has had is the guitar jack fell in on a show. That was not good but easily fixed. The nut had worked loose and when he plugged in the jack fell inside the amp. The tolex type covering is very thin. Even thinner than the more expensive Vox amps and it will tear very easily.

Customer Support: 7
I have not had much luck contacting Vox. There website does not give you a phone number in the USA. Luckily I have not needed to contact them for any problems.

Overall Rating: 9
I have been playing since the 60's and have been through a lot of amps. Now I own a 60's Fender Twin, Bassman head, Vox AC30CC, Peavey Backstage, Peavey Bandit, Marshall Valvestate, and Crate Palamino. If stolen or lost I would run out the next day and buy another one. I might just run out and buy another one now just to be safe. I played the other night with this amp and a 4-12 bottom and I had the best time of my life on stage.
It's that good. We play originals and lots of classic and new rock covers. I don't need a ton of different sounds but I do need great tone. With the Black face on the clean and the UK 80 on the crank and a couple of more variation in there, I had a ball and it was a joy hearing the sound of my amp behind me on every tune. A funny aside...I also recently tried the AD100VT which is the same basic amp in a 2-12 100watt version. My AD50VT sounded more defined and centered sonically. I don't know why but I'm glad I have this amp.

Submitted by Brooks Reid at 09/15/2005 03:16

Price Paid: N/A

Features: N/A

Sound Quality: N/A
I am going to buy this amp today.
I took it for a trial and it sounded amazing.
The first thing I've noticed was that the sound is being 'cut off' all the time. After reading the manual I found out about the noise gate. Once I got that turned off the amp started sounding like it should.
I would suggest any of you who felt like the amp is killing the tone to turn it off. Just put the effects on bypass, and while pressing the tap button turn dial all the way to the left.
You should feel the improvement on the spot.
I will try to write a full review as soon as I have enough playing time on it.

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Ctzvi at 09/08/2005 02:50

Price Paid: US $347.00

Features: 7
2005
Yes Blues & Rock
2,Yes, Yes, Yes
That the Treble, Midrange and Bass woud work better.
Band, No for a 50 watts it's low in power.

Sound Quality: 7
Ric's 360 & 625 and re-issue 54 Fender Strat
Not very well, Rock Blues
Some sounds are good but some are very weak.
Yes, at about 3/4
It sounds like the speaker is crak and the sound drops off and vibs.

Reliability: 7
Not at this time would need to have it little longer.
No

Customer Support: 8
Customer Support Good
No I just sent the amp back
From where I bought the amp it was a year on parts and labor.

Overall Rating: 7
40 yrs, 5 guitars, mikes another Fender amp and Pathfinder Vox for home.
I hate the METAL FRONT
Had more power and keeping the vol. from dropping off.

Submitted by Bob at 09/06/2005 18:41

Price Paid: US $359.00

Features: 7
The amp has a wide palate of tones. It only has two savable channels, and that bothers many, but I only use one or two sounds anyway. I was worried that this digital amp would have a problem with stomp boxes. I was glad to find that the amp has no problems with my pedals. Running distortion into the amp works fine. The amp is compact and light weight. It's great for gigging in this regard. I opened up the back and found that the cabinet construction seems well braced and solid.

Sound Quality: 5
I especially like the Vox AC 15 and 30 simulations and the 80s British setting. There is a smooth breakup and natural tube like dynamics. The tone controls have a broad range, and the effects are good, just annoying to edit. Now here are the shortcomings. The amp really doesn’t have good bass response. At low volume its fine, but when you’re playing a show or a high volume practice, the bass becomes flabby and indistinct. I really like deep clean bass from an amp, and this guy can't cut it. In overall volume though, it has sufficient power for any small gig, minus beefy bass. My other complaint is the noise gate. This amp has a noise gate on at all times, and this can really screw with your dynamics. If you turn the volume down on your guitar, the quiet bits get cut out and you can really hear your playing suffer. Even at full guitar volume at some settings, the noise gate makes its presence known. In short, this amp has a limited dynamic range. Overall the sounds are good but not outstanding. It should be obvious that digital simulations can never mach the real tube amps, but most of us don't have the money for the classics.

Reliability: 5
On my first gig with the Amp, I used a relatively short cable, and the strain on the plastic input jack stripped the threading. The input jack fell into the inside of the amp, making it impossible to plug back in. The gig was effectively ended. Vox really needs to make a more durable, preferably metal part here, or design the jack so it has reinforcement from below. Other than this problem, the amp has been solid.

Customer Support: N/A
I repaired the problem I mentioned above. Therefore I have no opinion at this time.

Overall Rating: N/A
I bought the AD 50 VT last spring (2005) after my crate 2*12 blew out. Though I prefer the distortion sounds of the Vox, I really miss the clean low end power of the crate. Many people are championing this Vox AD series to exessive levels. Like anything, it has limitations. I'll use this amp gigging till it dies, but at home there is no substitute for my trusty Fender Champ.

Submitted by Jonathan Bovenmyer at 09/03/2005 13:10

Price Paid: US $330.00

Features: 8
i really liked the features of the amp. I could dial in a tone and it worked . It is simple to use and has alot of choices.

Sound Quality: 10
I think that for a digital amp it sounds good. I don't know if it is the tube in the preamp or the valve "tronix" the have on the power amp. i put this next to a ac30 tb and it was really close. I said for $600 difference it didn't sound that much different.

Reliability: 1
I have went to guitar center twice in 2 weeks because of problems with it. I don't think it will take much abuse. IF YOU are goijg to use it in a studio or just at home it is great. I would never take this amp giging without a back up. That is just because of the 2 i have run across.

Customer Support: N/A
I never delt with vox so i have no idea. Guitar center is a litle of a pain, but is seeming to come through.

Overall Rating: 5
I am thinking about fining something else different. I need an amp that is durable and that has great tone. just take into consideration what you are going to use it for befor you buy it.

Submitted by adam at 08/25/2005 18:48